60 http://www.prwebpodcast.com A Top 30 Stream of Healthways Press Releases (in MP3 format) via PRWeb podEditor@emediawire.com (PRWeb) podMaster@emediawire.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:39:59 -0700 Healthways http://www.prweb.com/prwebrss.gif 130 49 http://prwebpodcast.com Copyright PRWeb International, Inc. en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss A Top 30 Stream of Healthways Press Releases (in MP3 format) via PRWeb A Top 30 Stream of Healthways Press Releases (in MP3 format) via PRWeb podEditor@emediawire.com PR Web PRWeb no http://www.prweb.com/releases/QuitNet/smoking_cessation/prweb569600.htm http://www.prweb.com/releases/QuitNet/smoking_cessation/prweb569600.htm For those who have been thinking about quitting smoking, The Great American Smokeout is a perfect time to get started, and smoking cessation programs, like Healthways QuitNet, are there to support and motivate throughout this process. [PRWeb Nov 14, 2007] http://www.prweb.com/releases/QuitNet/smoking_cessation/prweb569600.htm Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:25:07 -0800 podcrew@extrahoop.com quitting smoking, The Great American Smokeout is a perfect time to get started, and smoking cessation programs, like Healthways QuitNet, are there to support and motivate throughout this process. QuitNet’s website (www.quitnet.com) is host to a thriving online community of thousands of smokers and ex-smokers who support each other with practical tips and celebrations of milestones. After only one day without smoking, there are already immediate health benefits: • Just 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse rate drops to nearly the level it was before that cigarette, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increases. • 8 hours after your last cigarette, carbon monoxide levels in your blood drops to normal and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal. • 24 hours after your last cigarette, your chance of a heart attack decreases. Some strategies to be smoke-free for good: • Change habits that you associate with smoking. If you typically smoke while talking on the phone, talk in a different room, hold the phone in the other hand, or sit in a different chair. If you usually smoke while sitting in your favorite chair, avoid that chair for a while. • Keep busy. Take up a hobby, go to the movies, go for a walk, work around the house, call or visit friends, write letters, read a book … the possibilities are endless. • Keep your hands and mouth occupied. Try sugarless mints or gum, toothpicks, sunflower seeds, carrot and celery sticks, crushed ice, or water. QuitNet members find that typing messages keeps their fingers busy and gets them support during a strong craving. About Healthways Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY), www.healthways.com, is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive Health and Care SupportSM solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and, as a result, reduce overall healthcare costs. Healthways' programs are designed to help healthy individuals stay healthy, mitigate and slow the progression of disease associated with family or lifestyle risk factors and promote the best possible health for those already affected by disease. Our proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, internet and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. Healthways also provides a national, fully accredited complementary and alternative Health Provider Network, offering convenient access to individuals who seek health services outside of, and in conjunction with, the traditional healthcare system. Contact: Melissa Gibbs 615-565-5957 (o) 615-495-4681 (c) melissa.gibbs @ healthways.com ###]]> Melissa Gibbs QuitNet, World’s Largest Online Smoking Cessation Program, Can Help Kick the Habit During The Great American Smokeout...and Long Term quitting smoking, The Great American Smokeout is a perfect time to get started, and smoking cessation programs, like Healthways QuitNet, are there to support and motivate throughout this process. QuitNet’s website (www.quitnet.com) is host to a thriving online community of thousands of smokers and ex-smokers who support each other with practical tips and celebrations of milestones. After only one day without smoking, there are already immediate health benefits: • Just 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse rate drops to nearly the level it was before that cigarette, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increases. • 8 hours after your last cigarette, carbon monoxide levels in your blood drops to normal and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal. • 24 hours after your last cigarette, your chance of a heart attack decreases. Some strategies to be smoke-free for good: • Change habits that you associate with smoking. If you typically smoke while talking on the phone, talk in a different room, hold the phone in the other hand, or sit in a different chair. If you usually smoke while sitting in your favorite chair, avoid that chair for a while. • Keep busy. Take up a hobby, go to the movies, go for a walk, work around the house, call or visit friends, write letters, read a book … the possibilities are endless. • Keep your hands and mouth occupied. Try sugarless mints or gum, toothpicks, sunflower seeds, carrot and celery sticks, crushed ice, or water. QuitNet members find that typing messages keeps their fingers busy and gets them support during a strong craving. About Healthways Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY), www.healthways.com, is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive Health and Care SupportSM solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and, as a result, reduce overall healthcare costs. Healthways' programs are designed to help healthy individuals stay healthy, mitigate and slow the progression of disease associated with family or lifestyle risk factors and promote the best possible health for those already affected by disease. Our proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, internet and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. Healthways also provides a national, fully accredited complementary and alternative Health Provider Network, offering convenient access to individuals who seek health services outside of, and in conjunction with, the traditional healthcare system. Contact: Melissa Gibbs 615-565-5957 (o) 615-495-4681 (c) melissa.gibbs @ healthways.com ###]]> 00:15:00 no http://www.prweb.com/releases/Petition_Drive/Aging_Conference/prweb544193.htm http://www.prweb.com/releases/Petition_Drive/Aging_Conference/prweb544193.htm Research Shows Healthways SilverSneakers Participants Healthier, Less Costly to Insure than Non-Participants; Advocates of Wellness and Prevention Programs for Seniors Encouraged to Sign Petition at www.rethinkwellness.com. [PRWeb Aug 2, 2007] http://www.prweb.com/releases/Petition_Drive/Aging_Conference/prweb544193.htm Wed, 1 Aug 2007 14:44:07 -0700 podcrew@extrahoop.com Fitness Program are mentally and physically healthier than those who don’t participate, and the more they go to the gym, the lower their healthcare costs, according to findings presented at the National Area Agencies on Aging conference here this week. Research conducted by the Institute for the Study of Aging found that healthcare costs of SilverSneakers members during the first year of program participation were on average $441 lower than for non-participants. Similar research conducted by a Healthways health plan customer found that members participating in the SilverSneakers program by going to the gym 200 or more times a year had lower healthcare costs and used 30 percent fewer healthcare services than those who did not. “Our mantra is Fitness, Fun and Friends,” Healthways Senior Vice President Steve Lindstrom said. “For 60 percent of the members in our program, this is the first time they’ve ever stepped foot in a fitness center, and two-thirds of our members live alone. So for the program to work, and to keep people engaged, it’s got to be based on good evidence and it’s got to be fun. The social aspect of SilverSneakers is as important as the physical workout. Outside of the SilverSneakers classes themselves, members get together for bake sales, lunches, dances, group vacations and all kinds of other social events. This is something that is initiated by the class members but we wholeheartedly support their efforts.” A growing body of scientific evidence shows physical activity can contribute to improved health and functional ability among older adults, as well as reduced chronic illness and disability. Some of the findings presented include: • Aerobic exercise improves physical function and provides relief from fatigue, nausea and depression among people undergoing treatment for cancer. • Exercise enables people who survive cancer with a means to recover physical function and return to a healthy, active lifestyle. • Women who are physically active in the year prior to a breast cancer diagnosis have higher survival rates • Exercising at least three times per week is associated with a 32 percent reduction in risk for dementia, compared with those exercising less often. • Regular exercise is associated with a delay in the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease • Older adults reporting either light or strenuous exercise have lower depression scores than those who are inactive. A report issued earlier this year by Johns Hopkins and Healthways determined that wellness is a state of balance in physical and mental health as perceived by each individual and that a degree of wellness is attainable at any stage of life, regardless of the presence of disease or disability. In an effort to drive awareness of the benefits of physical fitness, disease prevention and disease management programs for older adults, Healthways launched an online petition drive at the conference urging Congressional support for such programs. To learn more and to sign onto the petition, visit www.rethinkwellness.com. To learn more about the SilverSneakers program or to locate a class in your area, visit Jonathon Burns Healthways Launches Petition Drive, Presents Silversneakers Research Findings at National Area Agencies on Aging Conference Fitness Program are mentally and physically healthier than those who don’t participate, and the more they go to the gym, the lower their healthcare costs, according to findings presented at the National Area Agencies on Aging conference here this week. Research conducted by the Institute for the Study of Aging found that healthcare costs of SilverSneakers members during the first year of program participation were on average $441 lower than for non-participants. Similar research conducted by a Healthways health plan customer found that members participating in the SilverSneakers program by going to the gym 200 or more times a year had lower healthcare costs and used 30 percent fewer healthcare services than those who did not. “Our mantra is Fitness, Fun and Friends,” Healthways Senior Vice President Steve Lindstrom said. “For 60 percent of the members in our program, this is the first time they’ve ever stepped foot in a fitness center, and two-thirds of our members live alone. So for the program to work, and to keep people engaged, it’s got to be based on good evidence and it’s got to be fun. The social aspect of SilverSneakers is as important as the physical workout. Outside of the SilverSneakers classes themselves, members get together for bake sales, lunches, dances, group vacations and all kinds of other social events. This is something that is initiated by the class members but we wholeheartedly support their efforts.” A growing body of scientific evidence shows physical activity can contribute to improved health and functional ability among older adults, as well as reduced chronic illness and disability. Some of the findings presented include: • Aerobic exercise improves physical function and provides relief from fatigue, nausea and depression among people undergoing treatment for cancer. • Exercise enables people who survive cancer with a means to recover physical function and return to a healthy, active lifestyle. • Women who are physically active in the year prior to a breast cancer diagnosis have higher survival rates • Exercising at least three times per week is associated with a 32 percent reduction in risk for dementia, compared with those exercising less often. • Regular exercise is associated with a delay in the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease • Older adults reporting either light or strenuous exercise have lower depression scores than those who are inactive. A report issued earlier this year by Johns Hopkins and Healthways determined that wellness is a state of balance in physical and mental health as perceived by each individual and that a degree of wellness is attainable at any stage of life, regardless of the presence of disease or disability. In an effort to drive awareness of the benefits of physical fitness, disease prevention and disease management programs for older adults, Healthways launched an online petition drive at the conference urging Congressional support for such programs. To learn more and to sign onto the petition, visit www.rethinkwellness.com. To learn more about the SilverSneakers program or to locate a class in your area, visit 00:15:00 no http://www.prweb.com/releases/healthcare/wellness/prweb492273.htm http://www.prweb.com/releases/healthcare/wellness/prweb492273.htm [PRWeb Dec 18, 2006] http://www.prweb.com/releases/healthcare/wellness/prweb492273.htm Fri, 22 Dec 2006 21:08:30 -0800 podcrew@extrahoop.com health plan. It's a ritual that Carmella says has changed their lives. "We go practically every day. That's the beauty of it," Carmella says of the Gemmatos' newfound fitness routine. "It gives us time together and time to socialize with other people. It keeps our marriage going. We just love it." SilverSneakers is an innovative exercise program that's gaining popularity at fitness centers across the country. It's specifically designed for Medicare beneficiaries' unique health and physical needs and features certified fitness instructors who teach the classes. Members like the Gemmatos can use other fitness center amenities like exercise equipment, weight training and circuit training. They can also visit any participating fitness centers and class sites across the nation when they travel. As rising healthcare costs continue to ratchet up the pressure on insurers and consumers alike, they are increasingly turning to wellness programs like SilverSneakers as well as chronic disease management programs as a way to improve patient health and longevity while controlling costs. Private insurers and employers aren't alone in their increasing adoption of lifelong wellness and disease management programs. State and federal governments are also embracing the value of preventive health and care support in government-sponsored plans. Services like SilverSneakers and chronic disease management programs are now offered through Medicare because of the flexibility allowed to commercial Medicare Advantage health plans. This diversity in coverage options, and the innovation in health and care support it's driving, has helped spur more older Americans than ever before to sign up for commercially available Medicare plans. In 2005 alone, the federal government approved 163 new commercial Medicare Advantage plans, with more than five million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled. Since 2004, Medicare members like the Gemmatos have been signing up for such plans at an average rate of 50,000 new members per month. The growth in Medicare Advantage enrollment mirrors the growth in programs like SilverSneakers. To date, more than three million seniors in 42 states at more than 2,400 fitness centers and class sites are eligible for SilverSneakers through their Medicare Advantage health plans, who increasingly see wellness offerings like SilverSneakers and next-generation disease management programs as complementary measures that meet the needs of members at all points on the healthcare spectrum - whether healthy, sick, or like most, somewhere in between. The "in-between" category of those well enough for daily tasks, but using medications and seeing doctors regularly has never been larger or received more attention. health plan. It's a ritual that Carmella says has changed their lives. "We go practically every day. That's the beauty of it," Carmella says of the Gemmatos' newfound fitness routine. "It gives us time together and time to socialize with other people. It keeps our marriage going. We just love it." SilverSneakers is an innovative exercise program that's gaining popularity at fitness centers across the country. It's specifically designed for Medicare beneficiaries' unique health and physical needs and features certified fitness instructors who teach the classes. Members like the Gemmatos can use other fitness center amenities like exercise equipment, weight training and circuit training. They can also visit any participating fitness centers and class sites across the nation when they travel. As rising healthcare costs continue to ratchet up the pressure on insurers and consumers alike, they are increasingly turning to wellness programs like SilverSneakers as well as chronic disease management programs as a way to improve patient health and longevity while controlling costs. Private insurers and employers aren't alone in their increasing adoption of lifelong wellness and disease management programs. State and federal governments are also embracing the value of preventive health and care support in government-sponsored plans. Services like SilverSneakers and chronic disease management programs are now offered through Medicare because of the flexibility allowed to commercial Medicare Advantage health plans. This diversity in coverage options, and the innovation in health and care support it's driving, has helped spur more older Americans than ever before to sign up for commercially available Medicare plans. In 2005 alone, the federal government approved 163 new commercial Medicare Advantage plans, with more than five million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled. Since 2004, Medicare members like the Gemmatos have been signing up for such plans at an average rate of 50,000 new members per month. The growth in Medicare Advantage enrollment mirrors the growth in programs like SilverSneakers. To date, more than three million seniors in 42 states at more than 2,400 fitness centers and class sites are eligible for SilverSneakers through their Medicare Advantage health plans, who increasingly see wellness offerings like SilverSneakers and next-generation disease management programs as complementary measures that meet the needs of members at all points on the healthcare spectrum - whether healthy, sick, or like most, somewhere in between. The "in-between" category of those well enough for daily tasks, but using medications and seeing doctors regularly has never been larger or received more attention. 00:15:00 no