blog.healthtap.com

HealthTap, provider of the world’s most comprehensive virtual primary healthcare, announced today free real-time healthcare to those who are suffering from the current record-breaking storms, floods and tornadoes hitting the United States. Our physicians are on stand-by, ready to provide immediate care to ensure those impacted have access to the medical care they need during this difficult time,” said Bill Gossman, CEO of HealthTap. With nearly two weeks of severe weather systems and more predicted to come, medical resources in these affected areas are in high demand, and we know it’s hard for many people to get out of their homes to seek care, Additionally, more than 144,000 doctors and 7.6 million consumer members have trusted HealthTap’s free, mobile app for immediate access to healthcare.

Sitting for prolonged periods of time puts increased stress on the intervertebral discs in the spine and can be associated with an increased risk of back problems. Prolonged sitting can be associated with lower extremity vascular disease such as deep venous thrombosis and venous stasis disease, both of which can cause chronic swelling in the joints. In some ways, prolonged sitting has began to be considered as ‘the new smoking’ in the sense that the medical field has begun to appreciate and more fully understand the numerous medical problems that can potentially occur from sitting for extended periods of time. As adults we spend a lot of time planning to do various things or investing in various things, it is time that we look at how we spend our time and resources and eliminate prolonged sitting from our lifestyle.

Workers enrolled in the wellness program reported that they learned to exercise more and watch their weight, but the research found no significant differences in outcomes like lower blood pressure, sugar levels, or other health measures, and no significant reduction in workers’ health care costs. By wearing an activity tracker and meeting certain activity goals, as well as purchasing healthy foods and enrolling in online health education courses, Brian and Carla Restid of Howard, Ohio, who have policies with a combined death benefit of $350,000, have been able to save close to $3,000 over the four-year period spanning John Hancock’s original pilot Vitality Active Rewards program, and last September, when John Hancock mainstreamed Vitality into every life insurance policy it underwrites going forward. They are recording an average of 23 healthy activities every month – nearly 300 activities a year (including walking, swimming, getting a health screening, [and] taking an online course, for example,” the company states in response to an email inquiry from HealthTap. A recent study conducted by RAND found that when Vitality is combined with an Apple Watch, a wearer’s number of active days increased by nearly 31 percent, and that participants who had the highest level of inactivity and body mass index levels improved more than other groups, increasing physical activity by 200 precent in the U.S.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking if you just sign up for one $35+ cycling class you’ll be well on your way to becoming your healthiest self. Moving your body for just a short amount of time each day can help you maintain a healthy weight, improve your mood, increase your energy, promote better sleep, and help prevent or control chronic illnesses. It’s far better to do a little bit of exercise every day, 30 minutes to an hour, than a few very intense sessions where you risk injuring yourself. Here are some inexpensive, easy ideas: • Yoga: there’s no need to shell out money on classes.