Healthcare costs continue to rise for a number of reasons, including higher labor costs for healthcare workers, rising costs of medical procedures and expensive treatments such as weight loss drugs. As a result, employer-sponsored health insurance exceeded expectations in 2024, with large US employers experiencing cost increases of 7.5%—a trend that’s expected to continue into next year.
According to Forbes, Georgia ranked among the most expensive states in the U.S. when it comes to paying for health insurance, with employers contributing about $5,653 for each single plan. The higher costs are partly driven by conditions such as burnout and stress, mental health issues and heart disease, among others, according to a report by the Business Group on Health.
The effects of regular exercise, such as biking and walking, combat these conditions with health benefits that include improved heart health and mood, stronger muscles and joints, weight loss support and a healthier immune system. Promoting physical health by encouraging employees to get regular activity when they can, such as during lunch breaks, after work or on the weekends, adds up to improved holistic health for your teams and significant health care savings for business.
- Reducing absenteeism, presenteeism and turnover
Employee disengagement (or burnout) can look like many things: overextension, ineffectiveness (often a result of “presenteeism”—that is, showing up unwell or with physical/emotional conditions that make it difficult to work or concentrate), missed days of work, quiet quitting or churn. However it manifests, it comes with a big price tag. Over the course of one year, employee disengagement costs an employer anywhere from $4K on average for an hourly employee to more than $20K on average for a salaried executive, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study also found that it can cost employers up to 3 times the average cost of health insurance and 3-17 times the cost of training per employee.
Healthier employees miss fewer days of work, recover faster and are more engaged while working. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that moderate amounts of exercise such as cycling and walking improved workplace outlook and personal satisfaction. Physical activity leads to increases in peptides or small proteins that help with neural connections, cognition, memory, mental health and overall brain health.
- Better mental health
Poor mental health, which includes depression, anxiety and loneliness, results in a $48 billion annual loss in productivity, absenteeism, accidents on the job and turnover. A newly released Gallup poll finds depression remains at a historically high level, with just over 18% of US adults (or 47.8 million people) reporting having or being treated for depression. Researchers noted that depression and loneliness, which is also on the rise, tend to go hand-in-hand and seem to suggest that social disconnection is “an enduring and evolving challenge in post-pandemic life.”
Encouraging employees to participate in group events—such as signing up for a workplace bike challenge, participating on a team, going for group rides and hanging out—can boost morale, improve social connections and lead to long-lasting friendships. Bicycling also contributes to better mental health, even as quickly as after the first ride. Some of the immediate benefits of physical activity on brain health include reduced short-term anxiety, improved sleep and improved cognitive function. Long-term effects of continued cycling on the brain can include improvements in long-term anxiety, deep sleep and components of executive function.
- Improved heart health
Cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are contributing to rising healthcare costs for employers and their workforce. Research from the American Heart Association projects as many as 6 in 10 US adults will have some type of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 2050 at a cost of $1.8 trillion a year.
Cycling has been shown to reduce the risk of CVD, lowering blood pressure and heart rate, reducing the incidence of type 2 diabetes, as well as lowering the risk of coronary heart disease. Studies show that moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise, including cycling, for any amount of time per week can improve your health and delay death from all causes, including the two leading causes of death in the US: heart disease and certain cancers. According to health.gov, “It has been estimated that people who are physically active for approximately 150 minutes a week have a 33% lower risk of all-cause mortality than those who are not physically active.”
Ride Biketober!
Every year, hundreds of companies from around the metro Atlanta region gear up to pedal Biketober, a friendly bike challenge presented by Georgia Commute Options. For employers, the event is a great way to bring teams together, support a healthy work culture and help make the Atlanta region a better place to ride for everyone.
Riders can participate individually or form a team with friends or coworkers. Cyclists compete by logging their miles and earning points for every mile they ride, every day they ride and for every person they encourage to join. The more points they earn, the more chances they have to win prizes. This year’s grand prize is an electric bike courtesy of Outback Bikes.
For more information about the Biketober Challenge, including registration details and event updates, visit www.biketober.com.