S
o, you think you’ve got what it takes to be a top-notch chief executive officer? Do you possess innovative ideas, solid experience, a respectable degree and enthusiasm?
OK, but how physically fit are you? Do you present yourself as someone who takes care of your body and has a lot of energy, or are you someone who is out of shape and lacks the energy needed to perform optimally?
Recently, 80 southeastern Wisconsin business executives put themselves to the test by agreeing to take part in the Small Business Times Fittest CEOs Competition. To register, the executives had to provide information on: their exercise routines; whether or not they had a corporate wellness initiative; the effects of fitness on their lives in general; and the impact of fitness on their work lives.
Small Business Times partnered with the Wellness Center of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Athletic Club for the competition to provide awareness of how health and wellness affect the workplace and also to promote executive health. The goals of the program are to identify local executives who are leading their companies by example and to encourage other executives to become more physically fit.
“The cost of health care is one of the biggest challenges facing southeastern Wisconsin businesses. CEOs can do something about that by showing leadership and taking good care of themselves. They can lead by example. That’s what the Fittest CEOs program is all about,” said Dan Meyer, publisher of Small Business Times.
To determine who are the fittest of the executives, complimentary testing was performed at the Wisconsin Athletic Club. Each contestant performed in a series of tests: resting heart rate, three-minute step test, sit and reach test, bench press test and a hand grip test. Competitors also had their body composition evaluated and body mass index calculated. Additionally, each participant was weighed, measured and had their blood pressure taken.
The winners of the Fittest CEOs Competition will be announced during the Expo After Hours reception at the Wisconsin Business & Technology Expo on May 2. Award categories include the 10 Fittest Men over 50, the 10 Fittest Men under 50, the Fittest Women over 50 and Fittest Women under 50.
To qualify, participants had to be at the C-Level (CEO, CFO, COO or CIO), a president/vice president, owner/ partner, executive director, mayor/city manager/city council member or retired from one of the above positions.
The Wisconsin Athletic Club was eager to present the Fittest CEO program because, according to Jennifer Younk, business development coordinator at WAC, “Our mission is to make a difference in people’s lives. It’s really important to set an example for employees and we wanted to be part of that example.”
The Wellness Council of Wisconsin participated for similar reasons. Associate director Theresa Islo said, “Having a CEO that is fit will be more likely in turn to promote a wellness program for his or her employees.”
The Wellness Councils of America has created seven benchmarks for creating a well workplace. Some of these benchmarks include “creating a supportive environment, collecting data to drive health benefits efforts and capturing CEO support.”
For more information on these benchmarks, visit www.wellnesscouncilwi.org.
