{"id":23058,"date":"2016-08-25T10:58:36","date_gmt":"2016-08-25T15:58:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/?p=23058"},"modified":"2016-08-25T10:58:36","modified_gmt":"2016-08-25T15:58:36","slug":"clarksville-parks-and-recreation-staff-activates-a-healthier-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/2016\/08\/25\/clarksville-parks-and-recreation-staff-activates-a-healthier-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Clarksville Parks and Recreation staff activates a healthier workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ClarksvilleClarksville, TN<\/strong> – In true \u201cwalk the talk\u201d fashion, the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department is demonstrating the city\u2019s commitment to building a healthier and more successful community.<\/p>\n

The Governor\u2019s Foundation for Health and Wellness recently named the department a Healthier Tennessee Workplace for encouraging employees to live a healthy lifestyle \u2013 both at work and at home.<\/p>\n

\"Clarksville<\/a>

Clarksville Parks and Recreation staff members walk the Upland Trail as part of the department\u2019s fitness challenge. The daily walks and other programs helped the department earn commendation as the state\u2019s first Healthier Tennessee Workplace.<\/p><\/div>\n

For the city, the drive for community health and fitness starts with great facilities and programs for citizens. Clarksville\u2019s parks, recreation centers, numerous free and low-cost activities, and creation of the Mayor\u2019s Fitness Council all underscore city government\u2019s focus on better health.<\/p>\n

Support for that goal also is exemplified by city programs designed to create a healthier and more productive workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re serious about creating a healthier community,\u201d Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan said. \u201cFor me, that means gearing up at City Hall, where we\u2019ve set a good example with workplace programs that encourage better health and fitness for all of our employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

For example, the city has installed a wellness plan as part of its health insurance benefits that provides incentives for workers to complete a health risk assessment and then take steps to reach and maintain key health benchmarks. The city also provides an in-house health clinic and a fitness center, and ensures a tobacco-free work environment.<\/p>\n

At Clarksville Parks and Recreation, those healthy values are put into practice with a passion befitting a staff dedicated to fitness and fun. For example, the parks staff removed soda machines from employee areas; uses staff donations to purchase healthy snacks; and conducts monthly fitness challenges for staff, using city parks and facilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the inception of the program in our department, employees have collectively lost more than 150 pounds and one employee has been taken off their cholesterol medicine,\u201d said Jennifer Byard, Clarksville Parks and Recreation interim director. \u201cWe now have monthly challenges revolved around healthy habits and it’s even brought us closer together as a team. We’re proud to be the first parks and recreation department in Tennessee to achieve this certification.\u201d<\/p>\n

To become a Healthier Tennessee Workplace, Clarksville Parks and Recreation certified that it has a wellness program in place that:<\/strong><\/p>\n