“We meet on a monthly basis to share best practices and different things that they have done within their work sites,” said Cassie Carey the Crow Wing Energize Coordinator.

Through Crow Wing Energize a workplace wellness committee has formed at many local businesses.

“Not just healthy eating and not just active living but promoting resiliency in learning how to bounce back and reduce stigma of mental health and all of the stress and pressures of the world in our workplaces,” Carey said.

Even though the programs run all year long, the participation tends to increase during this time of year.

“There are still a lot of people who at the beginning of the year they reflect and say it’s winter, I just got through Thanksgiving, I just got through Christmas and now my jeans are kind of tight,” Carey said.

Instead of heading to the vending machine many employees at Crow Wing Power head to the refrigerator that’s stocked full of healthy options.

“It’s on an honor system so they are all labeled with pricing, you put it in the bag and off you go,” said Laura Tucker a Crow Wing Power Wellness Committee Member.

For Committee Member Laura, it’s all about motivating others and leading by example.

“I’ve lost 75 pounds and I’ve kept that off the last 12 years so I’ve seen my fluctuations up and down and I know how hard it is,” Tucker said.

Crow Wing Power has also added some new tools for employees to stay active at their desk, including their increasingly popular stand up desk. “Love, love, love it,” Tucker said about her stand up desk.

And for days when it is a little warmer out they have a walking trail on the property.

“That’s a half a mile walk, so if you can make it around twice you can get a mile in on your lunch hour,” Tucker said.

Other businesses like CTC, Mills Fleet Farm and about 20 others in the area have put healthy initiatives in place.

“If we have a healthy workforce, we will be more productive and we will have less time away from our desks because we’re going to be healthy and on top of that usually is a trickle affect to our families,” Carey said.

By — Sarah Winkelmann