Take advantage of workplace wellness programs. If pressed for time, use some of your workout time to catch up on voice mails or have an informal meeting.

Workplace wellness programs really work, a study shows. If you use them.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—According to the American Time Use Survey, sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employed American adults spend 8.7 hours per day working (which for many of us means lots of time sitting). And we know from the ever-climbing rates of obesity, few of us are doing any working out. So here’s an idea: Why not combine the two—work and working out? An employee health program review published last week in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that the combination, well, works.

THE DETAILS: Researchers from the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, reviewed 47 previously published studies to determine the effectiveness of workplace wellness programs at promoting a healthy weight among employees. What they found was that employee health programs resulted in an average weight loss of three pounds per person in six to 12 months, as well as small reductions in BMI (or, body mass index, a measure of weight relative to height) and body-fat percentage—what the study authors call a "consistent, albeit modest, effect."

WHAT IT MEANS: Worksite nutrition and fitness programs conclusively help people to lose weight. And while the reduction reported in this review is admittedly modest, the study authors point out that even minimal weight loss can result in big health gains—and big healthcare savings: Previous studies have found that a sustained 10 percent reduction in body weight would decrease expected lifetime medical-care costs of hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke by $3,258 for men and $3,116 for women. This study reported an average weight loss of three pounds—or, a 2 percent reduction in body weight for a 150-pound person. Do the math and the savings provided by workplace wellness programs still look good—for both employee and employer.

"The research shows overwhelmingly that improving your fitness will help you to concentrate better and longer, reduce stress at work, and give you the energy you need to be an even better employee," says Gregory Florez, CEO of FitAdvisor health coaching services, which partners with companies to help them maximize their wellness programs, and a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. "It's definitely win-win."