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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
"How well your software and hardware are running depends on how well your employees are running." That statement is very prominently placed on all of the written material and brochures for FitAdvisor, a program developed by First Fitness, Inc., of Salt Lake City.
Fully 70 percent of individuals who start a health, diet, or exercise program quit within the first six months. The biggest challenges are time, continuing motivation, and knowledge.
I asked Gregory Florez, CEO of First Fitness, to come and give me more information about his program on worksite wellness and how he can provide more productivity from employees. He encourages exercise, diet and other programs to treat both clinical and everyday problems that affect health, happiness and productivity, such as weight gain, headaches, sleep deprivation, and lack of energy.
Gregory explained to me that one corporate customer reported an average of a 19 percent increase in employee productivity over a one-year period, or about one additional day per week. FitAdvisor clients also were sick 23 percent less than employees not using the program.
Gregory started his company in 1988, after working with United Airlines in Chicago. While in various management positions there, he witnessed a decrease in the work level and an increase in personal challenges of those who did not exercise, watch their diet and nutrition, and didn't get enough sleep. As a former athlete and certified trainer, he knew he had the expertise to provide a program that would dramatically improve the quality of life of people. Hence, FitAdvisor was born.
Gregory and his FitAdvisor team have worked with Oprah Winfrey, the Chicago Bulls, many Fortune 100 companies and over 35,000 individuals all over the United States. The company has been featured in Men's Fitness magazine, Business Week, Family Circle, The Chicago Tribune and dozens of other respected publications. In fact FitAdvisor was recently rated as the #1 health coaching Web site by the Wall Street Journal.
In addition, Gregory is a spokesperson for The American Council on Exercise, the largest not for profit provider of credible consumer education, and acknowledged "watchdog" on health and fitness information in the U.S.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
