Corporate America agrees that employee wellness programs are good for business. According to the 2011 Employee Benefits report by SHRM, 60% of firms surveyed currently offer some type of employee wellness programming. Fitness center reimbursements are offered by 30% of the organizations surveyed, while 24% provide an onsite fitness center.

The case for employee wellness programming includes favorable data on reduced health care costs and increased worker productivity, among other metrics.

The usual data, however, may be failing to capture two of the most profound benefits of physical activity based employee wellness programs: improved mental health and increased mental performance.

As a result, many firms may be missing an opportunity to implement physical activity-based worksite programming that could lead to greater innovation and execution.

Two recent articles illuminate this opportunity.

A McClatchy commentary by IHRSA’s Executive VP of Public Policy notes: “The benefits that exercise brings to mental health are just one more reason why we need to implement public policies and community strategies that facilitate physical activity…When an individual is both physically and mentally well, he or she is more productive, more innovative, takes fewer sick days, contributes more to the gross domestic product, and collects fewer employer and government-paid disability and unemployment claims. In short, investing today in America’s physical and mental health is investing in our country’s future prosperity.”

A paper by Jack Groppel and Ben Wiegand of Wellness & Prevention, Inc. dives deeper into the biology of business performance and the relation to physical activity. “Remaining sedentary for extended periods (e.g. sitting at a workstation or in meetings for long periods of time) impairs the flow of blood and oxygen — particularly to muscles — which can often lead to fatigue,” write Groppel and Wiegand. “Engaging in physical activity can create brief periods of hyperoxygenation in the brain and increasing oxygen intake has been shown to enhance energy, mental performance and memory recall.”

In fact, Groppel and Weigand cite data suggesting that mental performance-enhancing biochemical changes in the brain may be spurred by as few as three hours/week of brisk walking.

As the health club trade association, we know there is a great opportunity for fitness centers to position their programs and facilities as evidence-based outlets for improving the mental health and performance of employees. But there are, of course, other practices that an employer can adopt, such as conducting walking meetings and encouraging employees to take fitness breaks throughout the day. Maybe even a little Instant Recess?

We’d love to hear from any organization that has had success marketing physical activity as a valuable tool to increase employee mental health…

One of the first things taught in marketing is that if you don't know who your customer is, you will never achieve ultimate success. Keep this axiom in mind. It is probably the most important thing to take into account in the conceptual stage of building your physical activity marketing program.

How do you choose which segment of the older adult population to target? In recent years, marketers and researchers have suggested all kinds of approaches to this question. But when it comes to physical activity and exercise, levels of physical function remain an important and effective way to segment older adults.

The five levels of function

In her 1995 landmark book, Physical Demensions of Aging, Waneen Spirduso, EdD, Mauzy Regents Professor of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of Texas-Austin, details five distinct functional levels in the mature population:

1. Physically dependent - Individuals cannot do some or all Basic Activities of Daily Living, or BADL (i.e. self-feeding, dressing, using the toilet, transferring, and walking). These adults depend on others for food and other basic functions of living.

2. Physically frail - Individuals can perform BADL, but cannot execute some or all of the activities necessary to live independently. Generally, this inability is due to a debilitating disease or condition that physically challenges these adults on a daily basis.

3. Physically independent - Individuals live independently, usually without debilitating symptoms of major chronic diseases. However, these men and women have low health and fitness reserves.

4. Physically fit - Individuals exercise at least twice a week for their health, enjoyment and well-being. They also enjoy high health and fitness reserves.

5. Physically elite - Individuals train on an almost daily basis. In addition, these adults either compete in sports tournaments or work in physically demanding jobs.

Imagine the impact on your business if you had no defined target market, and you aimed simply to serve older adults, with little awareness of the range of abilities. Not to mention, of course, poor experiences your wellness center would offer many potential clients. The bottom line? Functional levels influence every aspect of marketing, and ultimately, it's success.

Different levels, different needs

In narrowing down which segment(s) to pursue, you will want to consider the most immediate fitness needs of older adults. Physically dependent adults need movement that helps maintain or improve physical function for basic self-care, such as strength training, range of motion, and balance and coordination. Physically frail adults need exercise that helps maintain or improve their ability to perform basic and instrumental activities. Physically dependent adults need to focus on exercise that will help them prevent illness, disability, or injury. Since this group is at high risk for greater dependency, a main goal is to educate them about the importance of "prevention of functional loss" and motivate them to increase their health and fitness reserves.

With physically fit older adults, the primary goal is to provide them with current health information and various opportunities to maintain their fitness. And physically elite older adults still need exercise that helps build reserve and maintain fitness, and conditions individuals to improve performance in competition or in strenuous work and/or recreational activities. With physically elite clients, the wellness professional's role is that of facilitator.

Information about each group will help you make an informed choice about which functional level(s) to target - before you invest in your marketing program. Once you know who your customers will be, you can plan all aspects of your marketing effort, keeping their needs in mind.

Think of it this way: If the key to success is targeting your market effectively, then knowing this group's needs and abilities lets you select the right key.

How might an average Boomer summarize his attitude towards starting a new physical activity program? I doubt you'd hear, "No pain, no gain," but probably something more like, "My mind says GO, but my body says NO." Much has been written about Boomers' need for physical activity, but what can we - as health, wellness, and fitness professionals - do to make sure this age group actually meets the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommendations?

In the Y, we've created a program called PressPlay, which is targeted specifically for Boomers and is based on the principles of 1) Autonomy, 2) Competence, 3) Relatedness, and 4) Connectedness. By incorporating these principles, we have found that Boomers have been able to work their way up to meeting the recommended levels of physical activity (2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate activity each week) while having fun in a safe, supportive environment. And the beauty of PressPlay is that it isn't specific to just a certain sport or activity. Here's what it is all about.

Autonomy: PressPlay reinforces to participants that they are in control of their lives and that the choices they make about their health are indeed their own. Participants are challenged, but not pushed, to make healthy choices about their physical activity levels, and over time, they feel empowered to make these healthy choices. "I am capable of making good choices about my health, physical activity, and well-being."

Competence: PressPlay focuses on developmentally appropriate skill instruction and practice so that participants are indeed competent at some aspect of their chosen activity. In some cases, participants learn sport- or exercise-specific skills, and in other instances they learn how to use technology to enhance their physical activity experiences. "I'm good at this."

Relatedness: PressPlay is facilitated to create strong feelings of affinity among the Boomers participating. When surrounded by other Boomers who share similar life experiences and are also entering the same stage in life (Empty Nest, or Retirement, etc.), PressPlay participants find new friends and want to be around the group of like people. "People around me are like me."

Connectedness: PressPlay facilitators and instructors spend time during every class connecting participants with each other and creating bonds of friendships. The relationships that are formed become a motivator for regular participation in the selected activity. "I like the people in the class, and they like me."

When people are in control of their decisions and actually see that they are getting good at something, and feel connected or bonded to people like them, their participation in the activity that brought them all together becomes a joyful habit. Instead of a workout, their physical activity becomes fun, playful, and joyous. And over time, they can meet the Physical Activity Guidelines recommendations for overall health and wellness.

PressPlay isn't for everyone, but in the Y, we've found that applying these principles when working with Boomers in particular, leads to regular and long-lasting participation in our classes.

What principles are guiding your physical activity programs for Boomers so they meet the Physical Activity Guidelines?

How might you incorporate autonomy, competence, relatedness or connectedness into your Boomer programs?