Walk the Walk

The Year 4 Champion workshop was fantastic! The participants from across the state were thoughtful and engaged, but more than that they were people of action.

They didn't have to be prompted to get up and move during a brainstorming session.  They were given twenty minutes to talk withing groups and folks immediately took there talking outside.  The weather was great so they walked and talked.

This is a great way to incorporate physical activity into your worksite meeting structure. Could you as an employer develop a policy that allows for walking meetings or physical activity breaks after a certain period of time? Think about ways to incorporate physical activity into your worksite culture.

Follow the link below for examples of such policies.  Visit workswellks.com for more ideas!

http://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/PhysicalActivityAndHealthyEatingPolicy/Texts/Sample%20Physical%20Activity%20Policy.pdf 

Can We Get a Champion?

You bet we can!  WorkWell KS is extremely excited to have just completed our 4th ever Champion workshop!  A huge thank you to the Kansas Health Foundation and Kansas Department of Health and Environment for making it possible.  A fourth year for the initiative means more communities, more worksites, and more resources devoted toward improving the health in Kansas! It also means more Kansas impacted by this important work.

We are thrilled to be working in Colby, Derby, Dodge, Girard, hays, Hodgeman County, Northeast KS,  ( Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, and  Nemaha Counties!), Pottawatomie County, Pratt and Rooks County!

The WorkWell Champions never cease to amaze us.  Our 4th cohort was just as enthusiastic, thoughtful, passionate and energizing as our past Champs!  We can't wait to see what the future holds for these communities and WorkWell KS. Stay tuned!

First Impressions

As the WorkWell KS team pulls into the Ellsworth workshop we are greeted with this awesome sign.

Starting things of great with a very visable environmental prompt!  Looking forward to the next day and a half working with the Ellsworth County Health Department, Mosaic, USD 112 Central Plains, Ellsworth County Medical Center and Cashco.

It's Good and It's Good for You!

One of the wonderful Champions in Kinsley actually prepared the food for the entire workshop.  Everyone was beyond happy that she did.  Linette Miller prepared amazing snacks, a breakfast and a lunch.  The food was fresh and extremely healthy. Guess what...everyone loved it!  She really showed the group that it can be easy and tasty to make healthy options. People tried foods they had never had before and the feedback was all postitive.  Take a look for yourself! We will definitely be sharing some of her recipes!

Lots of Greats in Oakley!

It feels great to be back on the road and out working with Kansans.  Oakley was the perfect place to begin our third year. Great views, great group, great (healthy) grub!

Thank you to all of the participants which include; Peoples State Bank, USD 274, Logan County Hospital, City of Oakley, The Bank, Frontier Ag, Inc., and the Northwest Kansas Education Service Center.

Keep up the hard work! With such great leaders good things are sure to happen in Oakley!

What is Better than Two Wheels? THREE OF COURSE!

We walk outside of the Pine Village Wellness Center in Moundridge during a WorkWell KS worksite wellness workshop  and find these grown up tricycles.  How incredible?  We were told that about twenty residents ride these around the facility, one of which is ninety seven years old!  Wow!  Physical activity helps us all live longer, healthier lives.  What an incredible story and where can we get some of these?

Wellness at my worksite is like a...

Asking workshop participants to describe worksite wellness at their worksite using a metaphor makes for some interesting conversation.  It can seem silly... and produces some silly responses, but it's important to think honestly about where your worksite really is in terms of supporting health and wellness.  In the workshops we discuss the Kansas Leadership competency, diagnosing the situation.  A piece of this is knowing your story. What is actually going on at your worksite? What is the story others are telling about your worksite and it's wellness efforts? Metaphors give us an opportunity to explore these stories openly.  It is also a chance to relate to one and other. This work is challenging and many other worksites in your community and across the state experience similar struggles and face the same barriers.  We decided to some really stories from real businesses facing real challenges across the state.

 

            

Again, these may seem silly, but how many of you relate to the issues they address.  Do you present employees with opportunities but struggle with engagement?  Do you have a number of programs and activities taking place, but no real goals or sense of direction? Do you offer some things that may be considered somewhat healthier or are dipping your toes into wellness like activities, but really lack commitment and dedication to the work?  Do you have employees or executives that have their heels completely dug in and find any change is difficult?  These are realities across the state and the challenges we discuss in all of our workshops.  If you would like to discuss these or other issues and/or need help brainstorming ways to address such barriers get in touch with your local Champions and/orWorkWell KS.