The YMCA of Metropolitan Lansing has been a sustaining and familiar community fitness center for years. With five accessible branches in the area, the Y has brought together community and wellness as long as most can remember. Recognizing more and more their need for corporate involvement though, the area YMCAs launched their first employee wellness program in June 2009.

"The program has been well received, " Shannon Lounsberry, membership director, shares enthusiastically. "It continues to strengthen our community commitment through health, wellness and involvement."

The program is unique in the fact that membership dues are shared by the employer, the YMCA and the employee. The YMCA also waives the enrollment fee. The employer contributes $10 per employee, the YMCA contributes $6 per employee and the employee pays the remainder. Regardless of an individual membership or family, the employer-YMCA contribution is $16 monthly.

"This is a YMCA effort to reach out to small and midsize companies to promote and provide wellness to their employees, while assisting the employer in minimizing loss of productivity through illness and injury, and improving overall morale," Tony Fragale, president and CEO of the area's YMCAs, says. "The philosophy is simple—health and wellbeing make a happier and healthier workforce."

Once onboard, employers and employees can expect full usage of all area facilities, and even receive preferred pricing on Lansing YMCA activities. Members can sign up for a free personalized Jump Start Fitness routine, or go solo with their own personal plan. The YMCA will provide support for in-house promotions, including an initial online survey to gauge company interest.
The YMCA will continue its involvement through an annual on-site health fair to provide pertinent health and program information. The employee wellness program also offers optional services such as on-site group exercise classes, monthly fitness challenges, and lunch and learn lectures.

"It is a great program," Shannon emphasizes. "It's easy to get started and to maintain. We provide direct invoicing to the company and usage reports if desired. We work hard to make it easy, affordable and accessible."

Okemos Snap Fitness

For Pat and Tim McFarland, community and neighborhood are two parallel roads. Without one, there isn't the other. As active community members both personally and professionally, they felt it was important to maintain that relationship and have furthered that belief by becoming owners of the Okemos Snap Fitness.

With a 2,800-square-foot facility located in Okemos, the McFarlands have been successful in providing a convenient, welcoming and positive environment within their health club. When searching for a location for Okemos Snap Fitness, it was important for them to be accessible to businesses and neighborhoods because they saw the need to offer corporate plans as well as individual plans. Both realize that life is busy, but that there needs to be time for exercise that fits a personal schedule.

"Our Okemos Snap Fitness is a 24/7 health club. Our members have their own key card for access so that they are able to exercise when it is convenient for their schedule, not ours," Pat states. "The flexibility of our health club lends itself to the no-excuses commitment to exercise. Our bootcamp programs led by a certified personal trainer are a great way to start the program."

Both Pat and Tim know the pressures of working full time, rearing a family, and finding time to fit in a health program. That is why they encourage area businesses to consider the implementation of a corporate wellness program. Statistically, a workforce that is physically active shows improved morale, less time away from work and greater productivity. The McFarlands are committed to working with area businesses to develop affordable and accessible wellness programs that are tailored to a company's needs and to its employees.

"It's really a matter of quality of life," Pat shares, "and Tim and I want to see others attain that for themselves and within their day-to-day life."

Michigan Athletic Club

Health and wellness has been the cornerstone of the Michigan Athletic Club (MAC) for over 20 years. With one of the largest health club facilities in the area, the MAC has continuously built its programs with its members' needs and wants in mind.

"Being versatile and accommodating to the community has always been the focus," personal training manager Jermaine Alexander shares, "And the development of a successful corporate wellness program was essential to our mission."

Two years ago, the MAC did just that. They launched the program initially with Auto-Owners Insurance Company of Lansing, designing a team weight loss program that incorporated accountability and results. The focus was to draw interest in personal motivation while combining team support in order to improve company morale, health and an overall positive work environment.
"The program's success was inspiring," Alexander says. "Our trainers and the company's management teams came together to build a wellness program that was beneficial to every employee through the team challenge concept. It has been successful on many levels."

The winning concept is based on an eight- to 12-week program that comprises approximately eight team members. Each team within the organization is assigned a team trainer that designates a weekly meeting at the MAC to educate them about weight loss benefits through nutrition and physical exercise programs. Each team is weighed in and given a healthy weight loss goal through a diet and exercise plan.

Use of the facility during the program is encouraged, although participants can utilize their own health club memberships in the area. The goal is to get teams motivated to help one another attain the specified weight loss through proper and healthy means.

Author: Trenna Nees
Photography: Terri Shaver