Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Steps into National Walk @ Lunch Day

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) and the winning fifth-grade classroom students of the Walk On!^SM Challenge will take a big step toward better health on Wednesday, April 29, joining walkers across the country in the third-annual National Walk @ Lunch Day^®. Last year, the event drew tens of thousands of participants in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The BCBSAZ National Walk @ Lunch Day event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at BCBSAZ office locations in Phoenix, Tempe, Tucson and Flagstaff. National Walk @ Lunch Day is a workplace walking program that encourages people to take time during their lunch break to start walking toward better health. Most Americans’ schedules are built around their workdays, so National Walk @ Lunch Day is designed to fit into – not compete with – their daily routine.

“National Walk @ Lunch Day is designed as an easy way for our employees to fit some exercise into their busy lives,” said Richard L. Boals, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. “The process is simple – just take a short walk at lunch. Making it a habit can contribute to an individual’s health and the overall health of the nation.”

Additionally, the winning Walk On! Challenge school, Manzanita Elementary in Tucson, will be presented with a $2,500 grant to support a fitness-oriented field trip or activity. During the month of February, the Manzanita Elementary students walked 10,000 steps a day while tracking their steps with a pedometer provided by BCBSAZ as part of the Walk On! Challenge. Walk On! is BCBSAZ’s innovative school-based activity program designed to motivate kids in grades K-8 statewide to incorporate exercise into their daily routines throughout the school year.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates the cost to treat illness and chronic disease caused by inactive lifestyles is nearly $1,000 for every family in America, every year. Simply getting 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, such as a brisk walk, at least five times a week has significant health benefits, lowering the risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease, hypertension or type 2 diabetes, and improving the health of muscles, bones and joints.

The national walking effort is a component of WalkingWorks^®, a Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association physical activity program to help Americans live healthier lives and reduce unnecessary medical costs due to physical inactivity. The WalkingWorks program was developed in partnership with the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is the largest Arizona-based health insurance company. The not-for-profit company was founded in 1939 and provides health insurance products, services or networks to more than 1.3 million individuals. With offices in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tempe and Tucson, the company employs more than 1,500 Arizonans. For information about Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and its community programs such as WalkingWorks®, please visit www.azblue.com.