Product Architects, Inc., maker of the Polar Bottle, has begun a wellness and fitness program to cultivate camaraderie and foster healthy lifestyles among its employees. The initiative includes professional health consultations as well as a fitness component that challenges employees to take part in charity fitness events.
The company partnered with Nutrition Inc. to teach employees how to maximize health through proper nutrition and exercise. Nutrition Inc. presented a health lecture to all Product Architects employees and then asked them to complete confidential health questionnaires. A nutrition expert later met one-on-one with each employee to provide customized lifestyle feedback and recommendations for how to improve health.
“When I learned of Nutrition Inc., I was inspired by how they could improve our understanding of healthy living,” said Judy Amabile, president of Product Architects. “We live in Boulder, Colorado -a beautiful place with good access to healthy foods and outdoor recreation -yet some of our employees were lacking vital information about wellness. I thought this would be a great way to boost company pride and create a healthier workforce.”
In addition to receiving health counseling, Product Architects employees are participating in the fitness challenge by taking part in charity fitness events. Employees chose the first three events: the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb, where participants raised money by climbing 56 flights of stairs at Denver’s Republic Plaza building; the International Women’s Day 5K Run/Walk; and the Strides for Epilepsy 5K Run/Walk to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado. The company achieved 100 percent participation in the initial fitness challenge, with all 40 Boulder employees participating in at least one of the three events.
“The fitness challenge has been really fun for us,” said Robert Heiberger, co-founder of Product Architects. “It’s a great way to encourage team-building by working for a common goal outside of the office. Also, were improving the health of employees while raising money for important causes. That’s a win-win-win as far as Im concerned.”
In addition, Product Architects is encouraging more employees to walk or bike to work. The company’s new headquarters has shower facilities and is right off Boulder’s iconic bike path system. The company is also planning to install a new bike rack at the office. Currently 25 percent of Product Architects employees regularly commute by bike, tallying their mileage, fuel and cost savings, and carbon offset at worldcommute.com. Inspired by the program, one employee now logs an average of 31 miles a day on his bike.
While the wellness and fitness initiative is unlikely to affect the company’s health insurance premiums, which are dictated by employee’s age and other criteria, Product Architects does expect it to improve company morale, reduce sick time, and improve overall health of its employees.
Nutrition Inc. is a Colorado-based, women-owned company that works with small and mid-sized companies to educate and empower employees to improve their health. The company includes three nutrition therapists who think beyond the one-size-fits-all approach to health and instead develop individualized, holistic recommendations for each company and employee. Services include group lectures, health challenges, one-on-one health counseling, health newsletter services, and more. For more information, visit nutrition-inc.com.
