Stephen Ring
Market Manager
Unum
Elm Grove
www.unum.com
What does your daily or weekly fitness regimen consist of?
I try to mix up my fitness routine. Typically I spend one hour a day either doing a stationary bike, elliptical, weights or a workout video.
What fitness clubs do you belong to, if any?
I don’t belong to a fitness club, instead I’ve set up a small gym in my basement.
Other than the obvious health benefits, how has being fit improved your life?
1 1/2 years ago, I started on a journey to lose weight. To date, I’ve lost over 50 lbs. and have been able to keep it off. I have more energy in all of my daily activities and it’s much easier for me to be active with my family. In addition, I’m much less self conscious now.
How does personal fitness affect your work life?
In addition to having more energy at work, I think that a positive self image helps me speak to our clients with more confidence.
Do you have a corporate health or wellness initiative?
Yes
What health/wellness organizations do you contract with, if any?
We manage our fitness facilities in-house. We utilize Matria and Active Health for wellness and disease management programs.
How does fitness or wellness affect your overall organization?
The core principle of Unum’s integrated health care strategy is to enable and encourage employees to maintain and improve their health. Unum strongly believes this strategy is key to keeping its workforce productive while also managing healthcare costs for both the company and employees. Unum’s healthcare strategy and integrated programs support employees efforts to live a healthy lifestyle and to use health care resources effectively.
What advice do you have for other executives interested in starting either a personal fitness plan or corporate wellness initiative?
Advice for executives starting a wellness initiative would include implementing the WELCOA seven benchmarks for success:
- Capturing senior level support
- Creating cohesive wellness teams
- Collecting data to drive health efforts
- Crafting an operating plan
- Choosing appropriate interventions
- Creating a supportive environment
- Consistently evaluating outcomes
Concerning a personal fitness plan:
I would recommend to anyone that they consult a certified fitness professional. Ideally, someone should select a person who has a degree in the fitness field and is certified through reputable organizations such as, ACSM, ACE, NSCA, etc. The fitness professional should spend the first meeting interviewing their client, discuss goal setting, review of any contraindications to exercise, including completion of a written health history questionnaire and seek physician approval if indicated by ACSM guidelines.
