Category Archives: Wellness

People for Urban Progress Helping Indy Reuse — and Rethink

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Categories: Environment, Philanthropy, Transportation, Wellness

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Indianapolis has seen many changes in the past decade. But as old, beloved structures are torn down to make way for new ones, People for Urban Progress (PUP) believes that material need not be wasted. PUP drew attention from citizens and media alike for reusing the RCA Dome rooftop and fabric from Super Bowl promotions, and is now garnering recognition for repurposing seats from the old Bush Stadium. I sat down with PUP Development Innovator Amy Crook to discuss the non-profit organization — which considers itself a "do-tank" – and how it's working to change the capital city.

Chamber: Tell me about PUP. When and why did it start?

Amy: It was founded by Michael Bricker, our chief innovator, and his business partner in 2008. At the time, there was talk of imploding the RCA Dome and they had a natural curiosity about what would happen to that "white stuff" on the roof. They wondered, "Can it be used for something else?" They learned more about what could be done with it. So they salvaged it, and the plan at the time was to make 1,000 bags out of it and other products – wallets, clutches, messenger bags. They raised $70,000 in selling these goods. Half of that went to designers who made the products, and we partnered with RecycleForce … and then the rest of the money went toward projects. Through that project, we put up two shade structures in the community in partnership with Indianapolis Fabrications and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

Do any other major cities have similar organizations?

Not that are a not-for-profit model that we’re aware of. … We’re going through a strategic planning process right now, so we are looking at places like Goodwill and TOMS Shoes – and locally, you could say that we have a similar model as Freewheelin', which allows kids to work on repairing bikes, and when they work so many hours, they actually get a bike. The bikes they work on are purchased by the community to raise money for the organization.

How many people work here?

Jessica Bricker, our product designer, is closest to full-time, and she is Michael’s twin sister. Michael works 8-10 months for PUP, but he’s also a production designer for film projects and may be called away for a month or two. I work for PUP three days a week and also do freelance marketing on the side. All of our designers are contracted. There are five of them and they all have full-time jobs.

How are you funded? Do you work with government or via grants?

We’ve been predominantly funded by the sale of products. But this strategic planning is (supported by) the first official grant that we’ve gotten from the Lilly Endowment to help us go through the process. We’ve applied for other grants to help us with material processing. A lot of people are coming to us for these large-scale projects like we’ve already taken on, such as salvaging 13 acres of RCA Dome material, five miles of Super Bowl fabric and 9,000 Bush Stadium seats. There’s this space in the middle that you can’t take to the recycling center, but you can’t put in the landfill either, so we just want to be able to restructure to be able to say “yes” to accepting more materials and trust that we can get them back in the community in a unique way.

Is the city paying you to place some of these Bush Stadium seats at bus stops?

It’s a partnership with IndyGo. IndyGo has a budget per seat amenity, and we’re raising sponsorship dollars for the other half. During the Seat Salvage Phase of the project, we had raised $10,000 from (four) funders to help us get more seats out with the tight deadline: Lumina Foundation, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Eskenazi Health and a private funder.

What’s the greatest challenge facing Indy right now that you’re working to solve, big picture-wise?

Our mission is promoting public transit, environment and design, and based on our research and conversations in the community and with community leaders, urban design and aesthetics have come out of that – an educational effort about what is good design. Michael is also co-chair of the Indy Rezone steering committee.

Transit is also important, of course. Since 2008, we’ve been working on getting a car sharing program started. And then there’s an environmental component – just being good stewards to the earth. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is going to be replacing their seats in June, and this has been the first project where people really think of us and contact us in advance to create a plan. Whereas with the dome and other projects, we found out late and then had to figure it out. But now people are talking with us to come up with plans, so they don’t have to scrap this stuff or throw it in a landfill.

Tell us about this Make 5X5 contest you just held.

The 5X5 Indianapolis arts and innovation came out of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). The first one was hosted by Big Car, and we hosted the second one. The next one will be IndyHub. (CICF) came to us and gave us a budget to throw an event based on a theme, and we asked for five organizations to present a five-minute pitch on five slides, and the winner would get $10,000. So our theme was “Making.”

(The winner was the Cool Bus, which will serve as a literary center for children.)

What are some challenges in keeping an organization like this going, in accomplishing your goals?

We’re moving forward and there are some capacity issues, and if we had more people involved or more financial resources, we’d be able to get this stuff out in the community more quickly. But there is progress being made and we’ll be able to have a bigger impact.

Our strategic plan is called “Doing Things.” We took a risk and started this thing and we’re still here and making it happen; let’s take the next steps and create something other people can replicate. We’re keeping an eye on Minneapolis and Atlanta, where they have Teflon-coated fiberglass as their stadium rooftops. We don’t necessarily want to acquire that material, but we know what you can do with it so we want to have a seat at the table and help them find ways to use it in the community and process that material.

You support the mass transit initiative in Indianapolis. Why is that important?

All the articles I’ve been reading now about millenials and Gen Y, we aren’t all going to be homeowners and two-car families. Our salaries aren’t as grand, and our stability in our positions is different. But you’d be surprised, this generation is one of the smartest generations and they are spending within their means. They’re not buying fancy cars; they’d rather cut back and invest in their art, or having children – and invest in that versus things. A strong transit system would help foster that way of living. If you’re having children and you need two cars, and you don’t have a supplemental transit option, you’ll lose people and they’ll go somewhere where they don’t need a car. Our generation travels and experiences other cities, so when you see another city where travel is more efficient, you think about that.

For myself, in my first couple of jobs I was driving 45 minutes to work and back. Now I have a 1.5-mile walk to work. Once you try that, you don’t go back.

You think this type of organization would succeed in any other cities in Indiana?

We were just talking about Bloomington today and its new transit center, wondering how we could get some PUP seats there. While our mission statement is directly for Indianapolis, we’d like to see mini-PUPs, or people can come to us for a resource and we may have experience to help you do something in your community. Maybe it doesn’t have to be a full-time thing. We started with everyone doing this on the side. If there are seats being removed from a stadium or banners that need to be recycled, you can do that and we could consult about how to re-use those materials.

Don’t Overlook Depressed Employees

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Categories: Human Resources, Wellness

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Sometimes you just know it’s going to be “one of those days.”

You wake up, pour a fresh cup of coffee, raise it to your lips (that first sip always tastes the best) and … wham! It spills everywhere. Then traffic is unbearable and you’re late to work. Once you arrive, the day only gets worse.

For some people, however, every day is a struggle. Depression hinders their ability to function in the workplace and beyond. It’s an intensely personal condition for employees, but one that can have a profound – and harmful – impact on business’ bottom lines.

According to a compelling Forbes story, depression results in 200 million lost workdays in the United States annually. In addition, 9.5% of the adult population will experience a depressive illness in a given year. Your employees don’t have to suffer in silence. Watch for these symptoms:

  • Increasing frequency of sick days: Is your employee visiting the doctor more often but refuses to tell you the issue even under confidence? Does s/he seem to suffer from more than physical pains that you cannot see? Sometimes common colds, flu, stomachaches are symptoms of stress.
  • Loss of motivation: Does your employee look less enthusiastic at work or when completing his usual duties?
  • Changes in social behavior in the workplace: Those who are sociable withdraw from their friends and colleagues. Those who used to be passive could become aggressive and outspoken all of a sudden.
  • Incomplete duties or tasks: Depression sometimes results in memory loss. Is your employee forgetting some project deadlines or fails to accomplish assigned duties on time?
  • Fatigue, tiredness, excessive yawning: Lethargy is one symptom of depression.
  • Increasing number of absent days for other reasons: Is your colleague taking more leave days than usual with increasing frequency, citing other reasons than sick leave? Or does s/he call in the morning with an excuse they could not arrive at work that day? This could flag a possibility of disinterest in work.

Draper Inc. Employee Gets Trip of a Lifetime for Wellness Efforts

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Over the past few years, employers have begun taking a larger role in the health and well-being of their employees. Many are finding it benefits not only morale, but the bottom line as well when workers are happy and healthy — and more productive. While many are experimenting with rewards programs and weight loss initiatives, Draper Inc. in Spiceland has raised the bar by giving one employee a trip to Hawaii for her efforts.

Draper's blog tells the story of Nancy Vickery, one of the company's nearly 160 employees who met the walking requirements — and her number was drawn to head to America's 50th — and some would argue most beautiful — state. Following the contest, 115 Draper employees were surveyed and reported the following results from their contest:

  • A combined weight loss of 526 pounds
  • Eight of them are no longer taking medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes
  • One of them no longer uses a sleep machine

Both the Indiana Chamber and the Wellness Council of Indiana offer kudos to Draper Inc. for this initiative. If you think your business could benefit from joining the Wellness Council, just reach out to its executive director, Chuck Gillespie, at chuck@wellnessindiana.org  .

Mayo: Money Talks When it Comes to Losing Weight

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Categories: Health Care, Wellness

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A little cash goes a long way, even when the topic is wellness and shedding a few pounds.

Details from a recent study:

Weight loss study participants who received financial incentives were more likely to stick with a weight loss program and lost more weight than study participants who received no incentives, according to Mayo Clinic research.

Previous studies have shown that financial incentives help people lose weight, but this study examined a larger group of participants (100) over a longer period (one year), says lead author Steven Driver, M.D., an internal medicine resident at Mayo Clinic. One hundred healthy adult Mayo employees or their dependents, ages 18-63 with a body mass index of 30 to 39.9 kg/m2, were assigned to one of four weight loss groups: two with financial incentives and two without. An adult who has a body mass index — a calculation determined by using weight and height — of 30 or higher is considered obese, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All participants were given a goal of losing 4 pounds per month up to a predetermined goal weight. Participants were weighed monthly for one year; previous financial incentive studies followed patients for 12 and 36 weeks. Participants in the incentive groups who met their goals received $20 per month, while those who failed to meet their targets paid $20 each month into a bonus pool. Participants in both incentive groups who completed the study were eligible to win the pool by lottery.

Study completion rates for the incentive groups were significant compared with the non-incentive groups: 62 percent versus 26 percent. In the incentive groups, participants' mean weight loss was 9.08 pounds, compared with 2.34 pounds for the non-incentive groups.

"The take-home message is that sustained weight loss can be achieved by financial incentives," Dr. Driver says. "The financial incentives can improve results, and improve compliance and adherence."

Researchers found that even participants in the incentive group who paid penalties were more likely to continue their participation in the study than those in the non-incentive groups, Dr. Driver says.

Senior study author Donald Hensrud, M.D., preventive medicine expert at Mayo Clinic and medical editor of The Mayo Clinic Diet, says obesity continues to be a major concern in the United States because extra weight contributes to many conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.

"Traditional therapies are not working for a lot of people, so people are looking for creative ways to help people lose weight and keep it off," Dr. Hensrud says. "The results of this study show the potential of financial incentives."

Exercise Balls for Chairs (aka the 2011 Trend I’m Just Now Getting Into)

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Categories: Wellness

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I’d like to introduce you all to my new friend, "Blue" – the exercise ball. Not a really original name, I know, because it happens to be the color of the ball, but I also feel weird giving a human name to anything I sit on.

I recently slept on an airbed for about four days during a “vacation” to Florida (I say it in quotes because I had my 13-month-old daughter with me and every parent knows you need a vacation from your vacation when they are done).

It did quite a number on my back, hips and knees. I should probably just head to the chiropractor soon, but I’m also on a budget and looking for a cheaper way to strengthen my back and alleviate pain.

When I was pregnant, I’d read that using an exercise ball for a chair was a great way to stretch out the hips and deal with pain, and at that point I was desperate for relief. It worked. The only place I felt comfortable sitting was on my exercise ball.

I’ve seen numerous articles about how American workers are sitting more than ever and that it’s awful for our health and that moving more throughout the day is one of the best things you can do for yourself. A few co-workers have been using exercise balls at work instead of (or in addition to) their chairs. So I’m jumping on that bandwagon.

There are a few exercises you can do on an exercise ball that are low intensity, but work your core (listen to me saying “core” like I’m an exercise enthusiast!) and strengthen your back. I’ve used a few of them since I started using my ball instead of a chair – alright, I’ve only been doing this for two days – but I can already feel the difference.

I’m finding myself able to concentrate longer on my work. Another bonus is that it requires me to get up a little more often. Anytime someone comes to talk to me, I have to turn all the way around, which isn’t really that easy on a ball. So, I stand up.

I can’t find much conclusive evidence of any potential negative impacts. It seems like the most worry surrounds safety: balls rolling away, people falling off of them, etc. Though, if fifth grade students in classrooms around the country are switching chairs for exercise balls and can safely sit, I’m assuming most adults shouldn’t have a problem.

Obviously, check with your doctor before starting any kind of exercise routine or switching your chair for an exercise ball. And at least do a little research into the types of balls available and the correct size for your frame. For example, since I am six feet tall, I need a 75 cm-sized ball – and I found one for $26 that came with a pump, exercise band and DVD of exercises.

Sound Off on Pet Peeves

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Most of the time, I’m Ms. Positivity. As my dad says, “It’s better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right.” That said, I’m feeling a bit surly today and want to share a few things that – put simply – annoy the heck out of me. Here goes:

  • Schoolyard bullies and the lack of consequences (in many cases) for their cruel behavior
  • Smiling at a stranger in passing and receiving an empty stare in return (come on people, is it really that hard?)
  • Arriving at a restaurant that’s nearly empty and – as my stomach growls – watching multiple customers who arrive significantly later being served first
  • People who assume baristas should automatically know their coffee preferences
  • Parents who are unduly short-tempered with their kids at the grocery store (children grow up fast; enjoy them while you can!)
  • Happily plopping down on the couch to watch a show I have “DVRd” and realizing that, because a football or basketball game has gone into overtime, only part of the episode was recorded (Nooooo!)
  • Rude customers during the holiday season
  • Coaches who berate young kids for losing games rather than providing a fun, supportive learning environment (way to be a role model)
  • Buyer’s remorse (did I really need that $15 lunch?)
  • The phrase, “I could care less.” Repeat after me: “I couldn’t care less.”

What ruffles your feathers? I hate that expression. Just kidding!

Promise Gala Assists in Fight Against Diabetes

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Categories: Health Care, Wellness

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More than three million Americans currently have Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and 30,000 more – 15,000 children and a like number of adults – will be diagnosed in the coming year. Although 85% of Americans with T1D are adults, its prevalence in people under the age of 20 has increased by 23% from 2001 to 2009.

The annual health care costs associated with T1D – a staggering $14.9 billion a year. Like so many other diseases, the goals are prevention, more effective treatment and attempts to find a cure.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the leading global organization focused on T1D research. It, will present its 2013 Promise Gala on April 27 at the Indianapolis JW Marriott. The “Heroes for a Cure” theme will acknowledge several heroes, including the JDRF Living and Giving Honoree – Roche Diagnostics Corporation.

Between 700 and 800 business and community leaders are expected to attend. The event will include a reception, live and silent auctions, dinner and entertainment.

Learn more about JDRF, the 2013 Promise Gala and how you can be involved in helping find a cure.

Is Your Boss a Psychopath? Let’s Hope Not

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Categories: Human Resources, Wellness

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It’s hard out there for the working professional. The last thing you need is a manager who is less than stable. That’s fortunately not a problem for me, but below are some things to keep in mind. Ragan has the info:

He’s smartly dressed, always early, and has a fancy corner office. He looks put together, but you know the truth: Your boss is a psychopath.
You just haven’t been able to prove it—until now.

In a new infographic, LearnStuff.com lists all the facts you need to get him or her admitted. For example, here are the traits of a psychopathic boss:

  • Manipulative, yet charming.
  • Lacks empathy and remorse.
  • Expert at masking his or her true self.

You knew it. Your boss qualifies! But before you call up the authorities, consider these stats:

  • Your boss is four times more likely to be a psychopath than the average person.
  • Thirty percent of workers would have their boss seen by a psychologist.
  • More than 2 million people leave their jobs every year; one out of six quit because of their bosses.

Something has to be done. Having a bad boss can increase your chance of heart disease by 25 percent, which makes reporting to him as bad for your heart as passive smoking. Not to mention, a stressed worker—like someone suffering under a mad man—weighs, on average, 10 pounds more than a relaxed peer.

Winter Wellness: Keep It Simple

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This column was originally posted at Inside INdiana Business:

Braving the brisk air for a jog may be the last thing you want to do when you wake up. Pursuing indoor activities is a rewarding alternative. Head to the gym or pop in an exercise DVD. Short on time? No problem. You don’t have to use a treadmill or lift weights. Spend two or three minutes doing stretching exercises. Take deep breaths as you prepare for the day ahead.

During your workday, keep active. Conduct standing or walking meetings. In addition, discuss projects in person with co-workers rather than always using e-mail. Or call them and stand up while you’re talking. Nine times out of 10, if I’m on the telephone, I’m moving.

If those options don’t appeal to you (it’s all about personalizing your initiative), try one of these simple desk exercises. Grab a Frisbee or paper plate and turn it upside down. Then put it under your desk and move your legs back and forth on the carpet. It’s a great way to work lower leg muscles.

Looking for inexpensive strength training tools? Use resistance bands (also called therapeutic bands) to stretch. Another idea is to replace your traditional office chair with a stability ball, which helps improve posture and works core muscles. If that is not an option, you can still engage your abs by sitting up straight on the edge of your chair and slightly leaning back.

Prefer something more social? Take a stroll on an indoor path with co-workers. After hours, create your own walking route at a shopping mall. And if the weather isn’t too chilly, venture outside and have fun! Take a scenic walk through the woods at a park or go sledding.

Did you know that you don’t have to exercise for long periods of time to reap the benefits? Ten minutes here and there – adding up to approximately 30 minutes a day – can make a big difference. The key is figuring out how you can incorporate physical activities into your normal day based on what you feel you are capable of doing and what interests you.

Take the stairs. Walk up an escalator rather than standing in place. When you’re grocery shopping, push your cart through every aisle. Small steps add up.

The holidays bring good tidings and… lots of temptation. Why not take a walk after a big meal with family and friends? Also, instead of sampling all of the festive foods you crave, enjoy one or two things and savor them.

Many people will enter 2013 with a resolution to stop smoking. It’s an important step that can dramatically improve your health and well-being. The QUIT NOW Tool  offered by the Wellness Council of Indiana is a valuable resource to assist Hoosier employees in their smoking cessation efforts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, each smoker costs his or her organization $3,391 annually in direct medical costs and lost productivity. That’s a huge impact. Remember: Healthy employees lead to healthy workplaces with happier, more productive team members.

The best gift you can give to yourself is good health. Find what works for you and makes you happy. That’s how you truly make a lifestyle change.

How to Keep Holiday Stress Away

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Screeech! That’s me putting on the breaks as we enter – fast and furiously – the holiday season. Sure, there are presents to buy, goodies to bake and get-togethers to attend. But if I don’t slow down, the “magic” in the air will be overshadowed by lengthy to-do lists and an unflattering transformation into Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge himself.

A recent article from The Huffington Post provides tips on surviving “holiday hype.” One suggestion cautions against comparing past holidays with the current one. It’s good advice.

Growing up, my family always spent Christmas Eve at my grandmother’s house. If I close my eyes, I can almost smell the rigatoni, roast and rolls she made for dinner. Waiting until 8 p.m. to open presents seemed like an eternity! I miss those days and will always cherish them. The good news is that the traditions I’ve started with my own family bring great joy and are just as treasured.

What’s your secret to beating the holiday blues?