It was at approximately 3:45, before the sun rose, that I was reading about the beneficial effects of exercise on decreasing the signs of depression in working adults. Never mind the odd timing; it was merely my first free moment to view the content of an application to which I was given access. The random health fact was given to me via my two week trial membership of Wellday at Work, a new app that allows users to take control of their sometimes sedentary workdays and promote healthier lifestyles through strategic movement breaks and methods intended to increase daily energy. After discussions with founders Carolyn Espel and Ann Dolence, I am now one week into the program and hence excited to explain a bit more of the fantastic entrepreneurial processes being navigated by these two novel creators.

Wellday at Work assists individuals interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle by providing them with tips and simple exercise ideas through a simple-to-use application. The app is oriented toward the growing number of people in the workforce who sit at desks for over half of their working hours. Wellday at Work’s set of tools include videos for understanding exercises from stress-relieving fitness stretches to Spring Forest Qigong, nutrition recommendations and a Microsoft Windows-based scheduler that allows for scheduling up to 12 breaks each day. Ann and Carolyn are breaking away from other competing wellness applications and systems by maintaining a comprehensive toolkit as well as providing continuously updated content to create a more dynamic user experience. The application can be used by individuals as well as entire companies interested in improving workday health practices.

Ann and Carolyn met through various events at their local YMCA chapter and Heartsprings Healing Center when they realized they both had a passion for implementing healthier mind-body practices in the average employee’s workday. With background research from the Center for Disease Control illustrating the correlation between prolonged sitting and chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, neck pain, and back pain, they realized something must be created to assist people in avoiding these adverse health conditions. Furthermore, they wanted to create something that would allow for more active workplaces in general. After discussing this idea with and receiving support from Lakes Country Service Cooperative, these two entrepreneurs partnered and began piloting Wellday at Work.

As Ann and Carolyn continue to develop their ideas, much is in store for the Wellday at Work application. Next in line for app additions include more advanced tracking features so that employers who implement the program can analyze to what extent their employees become involved. Ann and Carolyn are also considering becoming a part of the classroom with a series of student-oriented resources called Kid Breaks. Additional specialized niche resources that they are currently studying include creating tools for kids with special needs as well as using the system as a container for organizational safety materials.

Wellday at Work is always seeking out new users who can provide insights and feedback to their procedures. Signing up is a simple process on the application website, and Ann and Carolyn have told us at Emerging Prairie that it is now a more attractive option for work life health with a reduced price. The entrepreneurial team would love it if the Emerging Prairie community could provide feedback so that they can gain regional and eventually national recognition for a program quite unlike its competitors.

Note: Wellday at Work has received support from individuals at Key Eleven LLC, Web-Gel, Lakes Country Service Cooperative, as well as from many friends and family who have provided research and feedback on ideas. Be the next person to assist this great group by checking out their website and trying out the program!