TravelCenters of America Launches ‘Get Moving. Stay Fit.’ Professional Driver Wellness Program

Program in Partnership with ‘The President’s Challenge’ Rewards Healthy Choices

The TA/Petro 'Get Moving. Stay Fit.' President's Active Lifestyle Achievement Award patch. (Graphic: Business Wire)

WESTLAKE, Ohio--()--TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters) operator of the TA® and Petro Stopping Centers® travel center brands, has launched its ‘Get Moving. Stay Fit.’ Program designed to help professional drivers live a healthier lifestyle by focusing on nutrition and physical fitness. The program was designed in cooperation with the President’s Challenge, the premier program of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition.

First introduced for pre-enrollment in March, 2013, ‘Get Moving. Stay Fit.’, now officially launched, is tailored specifically for professional drivers. It is an 8-week, self-directed program, and drivers participate through the UltraONE® Driver Rewards Kiosks located at all TA and Petro locations. Program participation is simple:

  • Professional drivers enroll in ‘Get Moving. Stay Fit.’ on the UltraONE kiosk, which begins their 8-week program. If they are not already an UltraONE member, they can sign up and enroll in the program simultaneously at the kiosk.
  • Participants select one healthy eating focus from a list of options on the kiosk each week during the program, committing to themselves to build better eating habits over the course of the program.
  • Participants log their physical activity -- 30 minutes, 5 days a week over the 8 weeks -- at the kiosk.

Drivers who successfully complete the 8-week program will receive the President’s Active Lifestyle Achievement Award Patch.

As an added incentive to complete the 8-week program, participants will earn ‘Apple Credits’ each day for their healthy behaviors:

  • Earn 1 Apple Credit with the use of any FREE StayFit Indoor Fitness Room, or the purchase of a StayFit convenience item in the Travel Store.
  • Earn 2 Apple Credits with the purchase of a StayFit meal in the full-service restaurant.

Drivers simply swipe their UltraONE Card with each purchase or to access the indoor fitness room to qualify for Apple Credits. At the end of the 8-week program, participants who earn 120-199 Apple Credits can redeem them for a StayFit Towel and members who earn 200 or more Apple Credits can redeem for a StayFit Baseball Cap. All Apple Credits are tracked and visible on the UltraONE kiosk.

To make healthy eating and physical activity easier for drivers, TA and Petro have expanded the StayFit® program to include new lower calorie menu items, outdoor fitness ‘rooms,’ and additional indoor fitness rooms. Full-service restaurant menus are marked with special ‘StayFit 600’ icons to designate options under 600 calories. Travel Stores have a dedicated StayFit area with more the 80 better-for-you snack and drink choices, as well as fresh fruit. And, the number of FREE StayFit fitness rooms in the TA and Petro network has increased to 48 with the opening of three new indoor fitness rooms and four new outdoor fitness ‘rooms’ scheduled to open in June, 2013.

All TA and Petro Stopping Center locations will conduct one-day Customer Appreciation events by July 31, 2013, with a focus on ‘Get Moving. Stay Fit.’ Drivers can receive assistance signing up for the program at these events, while participating in fun and healthy activities, including a game of hoops, bean bag toss or a group walk, to name a few. All Customer Appreciation events will be announced on the TA and Petro Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, TruckSmart® App and websites the day prior to the event.

The ‘Get Moving. Stay Fit.’ program mimics the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+) Program, a program of the President’s Challenge that encourages all Americans to lead healthy, active lifestyles. The plus sign (‘+’) after the PALA acronym signifies the addition of healthy eating to the program originally designed to promote an increase in physical activity. The President’s Challenge dates back to the 1960s; the program has recognized millions of people for their fitness achievements,”

About TravelCenters of America LLC

TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters), headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, is a leading travel center business in 42 states and Canada operating under the TA® and Petro Stopping Centers® brands. With 247 convenient full-service locations off interstate highway exits, TA and Petro Stopping Centers offer customers diesel and gasoline fueling services, more than 500 full- and quick-service restaurants, 24-hour convenience stores, heavy truck maintenance services, RoadSquad Connect™ (24/7/365 emergency roadside service), Reserve-It™ (truck parking reservations), and many other services – all within large, high traffic facilities. For more information on TravelCenters and TA, please visit www.tatravelcenters.com. For more information on Petro Stopping Centers, please visit www.petrotruckstops.com.

About The President’s Challenge and PALA

The President’s Challenge is the premier program of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition administered through a co-sponsorship agreement with the Amateur Athletic Union. The President’s Challenge helps people of all ages and abilities increase their physical activity and improve their fitness through research-based information, easy-to-use tools, and friendly motivation. Since its founding, The President’s Challenge has grown to include the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+) challenge for people who want to make physical activity and healthy eating part of their everyday lives. The President’s Challenge has bestowed nearly one million PALA awards, and helped countless people live more active, healthier lives. For more information, go to www.fitness.gov or www.presidentschallenge.org.

Individuals should always check with a physician before starting an exercise regimen or making any changes to their diets. Use of the facilities or items labeled “StayFit” is not an endorsement of such items by TA or Petro nor a guarantee that use of such facilities or consumption of such items will result in actual health benefits or weight loss. Users of StayFit features are responsible for their own safety and should use equipment responsibly.

Contacts

TravelCenters of America
Tom Liutkus, 440-808-7364
tliutkus@ta-petro.com

Release Summary

TA/Petro 'Get Moving. Stay Fit.' is an 8-week, self-directed program where professional drivers focus on healthy eating and exercising. Tracking is done on the UltraONE kiosk. Includes incentives.

Contacts

TravelCenters of America
Tom Liutkus, 440-808-7364
tliutkus@ta-petro.com