Let’s Get Physical

Team JetCo works hard, with frequent unpredictable hours due to solicitation deadlines. As a result, we have to be particularly committed and creative to fit fitness into our lives.

The Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) and Public Sector Consultants recently partnered to offer incentives to put health first in the work place. The program, Small Business Worksite Wellness Challenge works to promote the adoption of healthy behaviors among employees in small businesses across the state.

We eagerly and enthusiastically enrolled in the opportunity and engaged our team. We’re never one to shy away from a challenge – okay, we really love a challenge – so we leapt at the opportunity to participate. (And we decided at the outset that we would win.)

The Small Business Worksite Wellness Challenge helps small employers and employees develop healthy habits, working at it one week at a time. The challenge lasts for 12 weeks and focuses on a new healthy behavior every other week, while maintaining the healthy habits adopted from previous weeks. Habits included 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, consuming 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, eliminating or reducing sugary beverages and sweets, incorporating whole-body strength training into our fitness lives, and getting enough sleep.

To track winning challenge teams, participants record their progress on a challenge website and earn points based on the completion of activities.

The freakishly competitive team at JetCo worked together to create a lasting wellness program within our organization and have enjoyed the friendly competition, particularly leveling smack-talk at our SBAM friends. In the last 12 weeks, the company provided incentives – paying for a private yoga class (thank you, Seva Yoga!) and fruits and vegetables at work for convenient and healthy snacking.

Currently, we are leading our challenge group; while we can taste victory (and it tastes like carrot sticks, not brownies), we are not letting up. We believe that healthy, fit employees are happier and more focused, so this challenge has been a fantastic opportunity to exercise and eat right as a team.

Side note: Our secret weapon is Maddie, our high-strung office puppy who welcomes (and desperately needs) occasional walks during the day.

Based on our positive experience with this challenge, it made us pay closer attention to our health and well-being. We’re grateful to the challenge sponsors for making it happen.

Did we mention we are in first place?