Take Your Fitness to the Next Level—Outside!

Spring is the perfect time to spice up—or kick start—your fitness by taking your workout outside. Studies suggest that exercising outdoors boosts your energy, improves your mood and decreases stress more so than working out inside. And you might even burn more calories.

To break your indoor fitness rut, try these popular spring workouts.

  • Step it out. Break a sweat, burn fat and work your legs by walking, hiking or running. No fancy equipment needed!
  • Play ball. Revisit sports you loved as a kid (tennis, volleyball, soccer, kickball, basketball, softball, etc.) for a cardio workout that feels like fun.
  • Get competitive. Get in shape by training for and then completing a 5K or 10K walk/run, half-marathon, marathon, triathlon or similar athletic competition. Find one near you.
  • Make a splash. Swimming and water sports like stand-up paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking and water skiing offer a total-body workout as well as a cardio boost.
  • Take a spin. Try cycling, rollerblading or skateboarding for cardiovascular exercise that strengthens and tones your legs, too.

Complete your Take Action activity, too

New outdoor workout options mean more ways to earn your Take Action activity. You can skate, golf, paddle or swim your way to up to $200 off your 2017 medical premiums*. In fact, two Take Action activities in particular will pair really well with your spring fitness routine:

  • Track all your outdoor activities—whether it’s walking, running, golfing, gardening, swimming or cycling—with one of our challenges (10K-A-Day, Get Fit on Route 66 and the Rockwell Automation Walking Challenge). Depending on the challenge you choose, you’ll track your activity by the minute or by step count … and you might even be able to sync your personal tracking device (like a Fitbit or Jawbone).
  • Competitive events. This time of year, competitive (and non-competitive) walk, run, bike and swim events spring up like flowers. So it’s easy to find one near you.

To learn more about the challenges, competitive events and other Take Action activities—or to get started—log on to ra.staywell.com.

*You must complete the Health Risk Questionnaire this fall to be eligible for any Health Management program incentives.