When asked to quantify health and chronic disease risk, most gravitate towards the usual metrics of weight, blood pressure, and body composition. However, movement may be one of the most important and overlooked factors we are able to measure. Movement ability has been shown to be predictive of functional decline, injury risk, and chronic disease, all of which reduce an individual’s quality of life and can wreak havoc on an organization’s healthcare expenses.
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of incorporating a movement analysis program into your organization’s wellness offerings.
Reduce Injury-Related Costs
When evaluating the economic impact of preventable injuries, the National Safety Council found that the average cost of a medically-consulted injury was $42,000. The total cost of work injuries in 2021 was $167 billion.
But it’s not only about reducing injury risk on the job; 80% of Americans will suffer a back injury at some point in their life, with most of these occurring outside of work. In the U.S., $80 billion is spent each year to treat back injuries. According to the CDC, this leading contributor to sick days costs employers $1,685 per employee per year. Injury prevention is crucial, and that comes through regular movement and risk assessment.
Increase Productivity
Wage and productivity losses due to injury in 2021 totaled $47.4 billion, and it is estimated that 99 million working days are lost due to injuries every year. Whether in an office, a manufacturing facility, or another setting entirely, increasing your employees’ ability to move has massive benefits of boosting energy, engagement, and efficiency.
Improve Mental Health
A great way to take care of your employees’ mental health is to keep them injury-free. Employees with a work-related injury are twice as likely to report serious psychological distress, and as many as 50% experience post-injury depression symptoms.
Workplace injuries aside, participating in regular movement has proven benefits when it comes to mental health. Movement produces endorphins which improve your mood and help you de-stress. Research shows that increased physical activity of any kind, even walking, can improve depression symptoms and reduce the risk of developing depression in the first place. Enabling employees to stay active is paramount.
How We Can Help
Our team of coaches will work one-on-one with your employees to empower them with customized injury prevention and performance improvement strategies that will simultaneously increase productivity and overall quality of life. Everyone is different, so we’ll cater our recommendations and coaching to each individual based on medical-grade data from our assessments.
Healthy Is Wellness utilizes Sparta Science Force Plate technology to analyze stability, force creation, and injury risk in less than 15 minutes. This data paired with our personalized coaching brings significant benefits to businesses by improving efficiency, reducing absenteeism, lowering healthcare costs, and cultivating a healthier workplace.
Ready to get started? Get in touch with our team!
MOVEMENT & PERFORMANCE
Movement solutions for injury prevention & improved performance.
Sources
https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/costs/work-injury-costs/
https://www.colorado.edu/health/blog/moving-your-body
https://health.gov/news/202112/physical-activity-good-mind-and-body
19 Back Injury Statistics: How Many Back Injuries Occur Each Year? (thegoodbody.com)
The Back Breaking Cost of Back Pain in the US – IRIS FMP (fmpglobal.com)
