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Fitness Trainer 'Virtualizes' Himself for Employee Wellness Programs Helping Human Resources, Insurance Agencies, Corporations and Hospital

Charleston, SC (PRWEB) March 19, 2009 -- VirtualFitnessCoach.com, an interactive wellness fitness coach program (http://www.virtualfitnesscoach.com/) that fights obesity by giving employees daily personal guidance and feedback from their own world class virtual trainer, has launched.

Obesity and being overweight are severe problems affecting millions of people nationwide -- which is why professional fitness coach Mel O'Keefe has 'virtualized' himself to reach individuals, families, companies and their employees who are interested in becoming healthier, happier and more productive.

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that the prevalence of obesity in adult Americans is 32.2%, and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry reports between 16-33% of children and adolescents are obese.

Virtual Fitness Coach - Not the 'Traditional' Wellness Program --

Virtual Fitness Coach provides companies, health insurance agencies and hospitals with a complete health and wellness program for employees (http://www.virtualfitnesscoach.com/employee-health-and-wellness.php) that fights obesity resulting in weight loss, healthier nutrition, reduced stress and increased employee well-being, while decreasing the annual costs incurred by obese and overweight employees.

A study in the journal Health Affairs noted that: "Per person healthcare spending for obese adults is 56 percent higher than for normal-weight adults. Over 15 years, the additional costs incurred by obese adults with private health insurance versus normal-weight adults increased from $272 to $1,244 per person per year."

Through Virtual Fitness Coach, companies give their employees the knowledge and dedication of a professional fitness expert, through a cost-effective wellness program. Employees receive personal log in access, where they have the option of working out at home or in a gym, coached by Mel O'Keefe, an Iron Man competitor and professional fitness trainer with 30 years of experience captured in virtual form, as "Virtual Mel."

Individuals who use Virtual Fitness Coach (http://www.virtualfitnesscoach.com/) receive a customized fitness plan targeting their needs, plus daily communication and exercise adjustments from their virtual trainer, all in response to feedback and progress that they submit. An interactive library of fitness and health questions and answers is available as well.

Companies using the Virtual Fitness Coach program will receive monthly reports (detailed and summarized) of participant data detailing workout schedules and nutrition plans, along with the frequency of employee site access. Charts of improvements in strength, endurance, perceived rate of exertion and diet are also provided.

The Virtual Fitness Coach program utilizes online video workout demonstrations of all exercises, audio tutorials and feedback, daily updates along with access to a personal fitness trainer. Moreover, users will receive e-mail reminders, online messages and personal updates on their progress.

Human Resource departments, hospitals, health insurance agencies and anyone else interested in taking a free demo of Virtual Fitness Coach are invited to visit the Web site and log in using the e-mail: guest@vfc.com and password: guest.

Virtual Fitness Trainer Mel O'Keefe has 'Ran the Run.' --

After 30 years of fitness coaching experience at people's homes and in the gym, Mel O'Keefe realized there are hundreds of people who need fitness help, but can't afford the hourly costs of a fitness trainer. With this in mind, Mel created VirtualFitnessCoach.com, a cost-effective way to receive the benefits, motivation and guidance of a professional trainer -- Fitness Coach (http://www.virtualfitnesscoach.com/) with the option of exercising at a gym or in the privacy of one's home.

Mel O'Keefe has completed an Iron Man Triathlon, and has run from Phoenix, AZ, to San Diego, CA, through 18 days of marathons as a fundraiser for cancer-related blood diseases.

Founded in 2008, Virtual Fitness Coach is an interactive employee wellness fitness program (http://www.virtualfitnesscoach.com/employee-health-and-wellness.php) that gives members daily guidance, near real time responses and adjusted workouts from a personal virtual trainer through interactive tools and services all online.

For further information and/or interview opportunities please contact Mike Morehouse at 1-877-IAMFIT-1 (1-877-426-3481) or via the listed e-mail.

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