This could be a cool opportunity to get fit with a group and be accountable!   

Press Release

Join the Blue and You Fitness Challenge 2009

The Blue and You Fitness Challenge is a physical activity

contest during which employees or members of organizations participate

in eligible exercises (cardiovascular focused) for a three-month period

(March 1 - May 31, 2009).

Participants exercise along a virtual United States

route, advancing by satisfying one 30-minute exercise requirement per

day. Established contest measurements with assigned point values are communicated

at the beginning of the contest, and then recorded throughout the competition.

Participating organizations are grouped by size and compete for a winner

in each category. At the end of the contest, winning teams are named,

based on accumulated points.

The Blue and You Fitness Challenge is sponsored by

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Arkansas Department of Health.

In 2008, 113 groups joined the contest with 10,361 participants from 36

states. Join this fun way to increase physical activity in your group.

Resources available for more information about the contest:

Website: www.BlueandYouFitnessChallenge-ark.com

E-Mail: info@blueandyoufitnesschallenge-ark.com

Phone: 1-800-686-2609

How to participate in the Blue and You Fitness Challenge:

1) Get together a group of 10 or more individuals,

ages 13 and up (business groups, co-workers, families, church groups,

school faculty, students, senior centers, etc. - any kind of group).

2) Pick a name.

3) Pick a group administrator (leader). This person communicates with

your group members and the contest organizers on a regular basis during

the contest.

4) The leader registers the group online at www.BlueandYouFitnessChallenge-ark.com

and gets a special group code.

5) Each individual in the group registers online using the group's special

code from the leader (group administrator).

6) Individuals log his/her 30 minutes per day of exercise online during

the contest (March 1-May 31) - all group progress is shown on the website.

7) Groups compete with groups of similar number of participants.

8) Groups with most participation and exercise win - winners in every

size category.

9) All participating groups are recognized and invited to the kick-off

and end of the contest celebration.

CONTEST TIMELINE:

December / January (deadline is January 31) - Group registration

January / February (deadline is February 28) - Individuals register as part of a group

February - Kick-off event

March 1-May 31 - Contest

June / July - End of contest celebration and announcement of winners