Archive for October, 2014:


Wellness Still Simple: Exercise proves to be a good prescription…again!

Published by in Fitness, Health on October 27th, 2014

Written by National Wellness Institute, August 1, 2014

Instructor Taking Exercise Class At Gym

We all know that exercise is good for us, but when was the last time your doctor prescribed it?

According to a recent Queensland University of Technology study, women could benefit from actually being prescribed “exercise.” Specifically, high-intensity exercise is both good for women’s overall physical and mental health.

While health professionals often encourage exercise, they could go a step further and actually prescribe tailored exercise programs, according to the authors of the study. The study looked at the health of women over 50 for a period of five years and found that 30-45 minutes of somewhat strenuous exercise per day is most beneficial (this recommendation is more than the previously recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day). The researchers found that these older women were capable of undertaking a range of activities beyond simply walking such as jogging, running, hiking, swimming, and bike riding.

The researchers’ final recommendation: Doctors should be developing and prescribing exercise programs that are home-based and easy to incorporate as part of everyday activities.

Debra Anderson, Charlotte Seib, Laura Rasmussen. Can physical activity prevent physical and cognitive decline in postmenopausal women? Maturitas, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.06.010

WellAdvantage Recognized As Top 100 MBE® Award Winner

Published by in Corporate Wellness on October 22nd, 2014

Top100MBESYKESVILLE, MD (October 16, 2014) – Jeanne Puglisi Sherwood, CEO of WellAdvantage, has been selected to receive the distinguished 2014 Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Award. The Top 100 MBE® ceremony is designed to acknowledge and pay tribute to outstanding women and minority business owners in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

The awards ceremony takes place during Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s Minority Enterprise Development Week in Baltimore. It will be held at the War Memorial Hall located at 101 N. Gay Street in downtown Baltimore on Thursday, October 23, 2014 at 5:30 p.m.

“We are thrilled to be recognized as a Top 100 MBE Award Winner,” said Ms. Sherwood. “I am so fortunate to work with a team of talented professionals who are rewarded every day by helping people realize their life purpose through healthier lifestyles. Being recognized for this prestigious award among a group of truly distinguished business leaders is an honor. ”

WellAdvantage provides comprehensive wellness services for its clients, which range in size from 200 to 90,000 employees around the globe. WellAdvantage’s services include personal health monitoring and management technology; biometric screenings; corporate flu shot clinics; health coaching and more, helping clients reduce health risks up to 40 percent in areas like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The national average for wellness programs is just 23 percent.

This year’s ceremony host organizations are the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development; MBDA Business Center – Baltimore; Southwest Airlines; BGE; State Farm; Whiting-Turner, and others.

“The winners of this year’s Top 100 MBE Award exemplify excellence and economic stability” said Sharon R. Pinder, founder of the Top 100 MBE Awards Ceremony. “Ms. Sherwood represents the goals and aspirations of many entrepreneurs across this region.”

To obtain tickets for the 2014 Top 100 MBE Awards Ceremony or for a complete listing of this year’s winners, please visit .

About WellAdvantage™

WellAdvantage is an award-winning preventive health and corporate wellness company. Since 2001, WellAdvantage has developed innovative, customized wellness programs that deliver proven results in health awareness and disease prevention. WellAdvantage offers clients the latest in personal health monitoring and management technology, wellness coaching, biometric screenings, aggregate outcomes reporting and corporate incentive programs. WellAdvantage is MBE/WBE certified. For more information, please visit http://localhost/wellAdvantage.

The Flu Shot and You: Facts Compiled from the CDC Website

Published by in Health on October 16th, 2014

Written by National Wellness Institute, Wednesday October 1, 2014

WA Flu Proof‘Tis the season when we need to start thinking about getting our flu shots. But what do you need to know and what is different this year from last year?

The CDC website has extensive information about the flu shot. Some of the key points are summarized below.

 General Information:

  • The flu season is generally at its peak from December through February, but it can start as early as October and last through May.
  • CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older.
  • Children between 6 months and 8 years may need additional doses of the vaccine. Ask your healthcare provider for details.
  • Ideally people should get vaccinated starting in October.
  • It takes about two weeks after getting vaccinated for the flu antibodies to develop. You are not protected right away!
  • Flu vaccine is produced by private manufacturers, so supply depends on manufacturers. For this season, manufacturers have projected they will provide between 151-159 million doses of vaccine for the U.S. market.
  • The effectiveness of the flu vaccine and the length of time it will protect an individual varies from year to year. For more information click visit the CDC vaccine effectiveness page.

Types of vaccinations available:

  • There are several flu vaccine options for the 2014-2015 flu season.
  • Traditional vaccines protect against three different types of flu viruses (a trivalent shot). There is also an option that protects against four types of viruses (a quadrivalent shot).
  • Trivalent shots protect against two influenza A viruses (an H1N1 and an H3N2) and an influenza B virus.
  • Trivalent shots comes in a few different shot forms and are given based on an individual’s age. An intradermal trivalent shot is injected into the skin instead of the muscle and uses a much smaller needle than the regular flu shot. It is approved for people 18 through 64 years of age. A high-dose trivalent shot is approved for people 65 and older.
  • Most trivalent shot cultures are grown in eggs. There is an egg-free option called a recombinant trivalent shot that is approved for individuals 18-49.
  • The quadrivalent flu vaccine protects against two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses.
  • Quadrivalent flu vaccines come in both shot and nasal spray forms. The nasal spray is recommended for people 2 through 49 years of age (recommended preferentially for healthy children ages 2-8). Click here for more information about the nasal spray and children.
  • The only recommendation the CDC is making this year is the preference for the quadrivalent nasal spray for healthy children ages 2-8. See above for more information.

What you can do to prevent the spread of the flu:

  • Get vaccinated.
  • Encourage those around you to get vaccinated.
  • Stay away from sick people and encourage sick people to stay away from others until they get better.
  • Wash your hands.
  • Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze.
© 2023 WellAdvantage