Reduce Stress to Improve Productivity

View All Section Pages

Tyler Cooper, MD, MPH, Cooper Aerobics CEO and President, discusses the importance personal health and fitness has on your ability to manage stress and improve your productivity and performance at work.

Workplace Stress Economics
Stress is inevitable, but the demands of work, family and life in general are taking a toll on companies. For many professionals, health issues such as high blood pressure, inflammation and anxiety can be directly associated with workplace stress. According to the American Institute on Stress, 85 percent of medical problems may be stress related. To add to that, workplace stress and resulting health issues cost U.S. employers an estimated $200 billion per year in employee absenteeism, reduced productivity, staff turnover, workers’ compensation, medical insurance and other expenses according to an article published by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

“The biggest issues we see in overstressed professionals are lack of sleep, exercise and proper nutrition,” says Tyler Cooper, MD, MPH, President and CEO of Cooper Aerobics. “These people try to do too much, and in effect, they sacrifice their own self care.”

The importance of maintaining health and wellness during your working years is made evident later in life. “Focusing on your health at midlife will give you the opportunity to live longer and with a higher quality of life. You square off the curve,” explains Dr. Tyler Cooper. In essence, you should strive to live at a high level of health and fitness for a long number of years until death occurs quickly and naturally, as opposed to living a life of mediocre health and fitness and experiencing a slow decline in health over the final years of life.

The ROI of a Fit Body and Mind
Dr. Tyler Cooper recommends incorporating Cooper’s “Eight Steps to Get Cooperized” into a routine in order to combat workplace stress and embrace professional wellness. This includes:

  • Maintain a proper weight
  • Make healthy food choices most of the time
  • Exercise most days of the week
  • Take the right supplements for you
  • Do not use tobacco
  • Control alcohol
  • Manage your stress
  • Get a regular, comprehensive physical exam

These steps are beneficial when it comes to both health and wealth. Landmark research by The Cooper Institute® proves being fit reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 58 percent. The Institute’s research also shows adults who are healthy and fit at midlife have 40 percent lower average annual health care costs later in life. This savings is significant, potentially equaling an average of $5,242 savings for men and an average of $3,964 savings for women.

“Employers should emphasize health and wellness because a company should truly care about its employees and their betterment,” says Dr. Tyler Cooper. “Keeping employees healthy not only helps productivity and the bottom line, but also improves society as a whole.”

Cooper Wellness Strategies provides comprehensive expertise in worksite health management and more than 45 years of executive health care. Cooper’s Fit Business™ leadership training program engages leaders to connect their personal health to their professional productivity, ultimately driving a wellness culture throughout their organization. The training is built on evidence-based principles that have helped thousands of top executives, business line leaders and managers get in shape, feel better and function at their highest level. For more information about Fit Business, call 972.560.3263.