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In Honor of National Employee Health and Fitness Day, American Specialty Health Offers Five Tips for Staying Fit and Healthy

SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What if you could get paid to go to the gym, eat healthier foods, reduce stress, or learn your health risk factors? If you're like most people, a little extra incentive can go a long way toward motivating you to shed those unwanted pounds or to get back to your gym routine.

Many employers across the country have found that financial incentives and gift rewards are just the right remedy for enhancing employee motivation to live healthier lives.  In fact, according to a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, 71 percent of employers now offer wellness programs that reward employees for personal health improvement and facilitate access to health education and improvement tools.

"Employers can influence millions of working Americans and their families to get healthier by providing them with no-cost or low-cost wellness programs that help them understand their health risks and improve life habits, such as exercise and healthy eating," said George DeVries, CEO and chairman of American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH).

Many employers implementing long-term wellness programs report reductions in poor habits such as smoking and unhealthy eating, in addition to fewer overweight employees, lower rates of high blood pressure, and fewer instances of high cholesterol. These changes result in lower medical claims and sick days, increased productivity, and an overall happier, healthier work force.

In honor of National Employee Health and Fitness Day on May 19, American Specialty Health offers employees the following tips for staying fit and healthy:

1.  Know your health risk factors.

Knowing your personal health risks is a big step toward helping you understand which health improvement programs that could most benefit you.  For example, if you have risk factors for heart disease, then diet, stress management, and certain types of exercise might be good health improvement programs for you.  If you have risks for breast cancer, then diet, exercise, and smoking cessation programs may be the best choices for you.  Many employers will offer financial or gift incentives for employees who participate in a health risk assessment.  Once you know your health risks, you can work with your doctor, nurse practitioner, or health coach to develop the most beneficial program for your needs.

2.  Get a health coach at no cost.

If you've struggled with diet and exercise programs before and know it's tough to stay motivated on your own, use a personal health coach to help you set goals and remain motivated to overcome unhealthy habits.  Many employers offer access to health coaches who will speak with you weekly or monthly by telephone at no cost.  Health coaches can help you create custom programs - like personalized exercise or food plans -- that meet your individual needs.  They also help you understand the triggers that can derail your success and will even recognize and celebrate each small victory to success. Coaches may offer assistance with stress management, weight management, dietary improvement, tobacco cessation, and/ or management of chronic conditions.

3.  Participate in group health activities.

Working toward a goal with others often helps individuals stay motivated longer and reach their goals more easily than when they try to reach goals alone.  Many companies organize walking or biking clubs to encourage employees to exercise together.  Others offer seasonal or holiday-themed contests to inspire employees to new challenges in health improvement. For example, some may hold an annual Get Healthy Challenge that recognizes employees who have achieved the most significant health improvements at the end of the challenge.  Some hold Veggie Challenges, motivating employees to eat more vegetables, or Step Challenges to inspire employees to walk a certain number of steps a month.  Winners of these contests might receive cash, coupons, gift cards, or other prizes and recognition.  Organize your coworkers to be part of a health challenge, and you'll see how fun it can be to get healthier together.

4.  Use online and wireless tracking tools.

Many wellness plans provide access to online programs that can help you customize and design your exercise program or meal plans.  They also provide online health trackers to help you easily keep track of your progress or wireless pedometers which track the number of steps you take.

5.  Take advantage of discounted gym memberships or exercise reward programs.

Joining a gym has never been more affordable.  Most employers today offer an onsite gym or provide discount memberships to local gyms to encourage employees to exercise.  Specifically designed exercise rewards programs let employees earn cash or discounts every time they exercise.

"There's no better time than today - on Employee Health and Fitness Day - to get started on the road to better health," added DeVries.

About American Specialty Health

American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) is a national health and wellness company that provides health improvement programs, specialty network management programs, and fitness and exercise services to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds.  Based in San Diego, ASH has more than 700 employees and covers over 17.9 million members.

Healthyroads, Inc. is the health improvement subsidiary of ASH and offers a wide range of personal health solutions -- including award-winning telephone-based personal health coaching programs, member engagement promotion programs, incentive management programs, competitive challenges, worksite wellness programs and an integrated online health improvement portal, Healthyroads.com.

ASH has been named among the 100 "Best Places to Work in Healthcare" by Modern Healthcare magazine, one of America's 15 Fittest Companies by Men's Fitness magazine, a National Business Group on Health Gold, "Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles" award winner, and a California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness Fit Company. For more information about ASH health and wellness programs, visit ASH online at www.ASHCompanies.com or call 800-848-3555.

CONTACT:  American Specialty Health
          Jeff Keller
          800.848.3555
          jeffk@ashn.com
         
          Kevin Ross Public Relations
          Lisa Freeman
          818.597.8453
          lisaf@kevinross.net