Healthy Lifestyles

The Healthy Lifestyles Initiatives engage Kansans and people of all ages in promoting healthy habits and active living. Whether it’s at school, at home or in the community, Healthy Lifestyles grants and resources are inspiring healthy behaviors for life.

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BCBSKS Fitness Courts

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS), Kansas Recreation & Park Association (KRPA) and the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) launched a statewide partnership in 2021 to expand free access to high quality workouts by bringing outdoor Fitness Courts® to communities across Kansas. This partnership was formed to fight obesity, improve quality of life and create equitable access to exercise for communities around the state.

The BCBSKS Fitness Courts® will feature a series of seven-minute workouts with the benefits of digital coaching on the free Fitness Court App, which delivers regular content to keep fitness training fun for adults of all ages and fitness levels. There are also opportunities for free fitness classes through an ambassador program featuring local trainers.

If your community would like to learn more about how they can apply for a grant, go to: www.nationalfitnesscampaign.com/kansas.

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Walk with a Doc

Focusing on healthy practices and creating a dialogue with your health professional is the focus of Walk with a Doc (WWAD), a global effort facilitating opportunities for outdoor exercise. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) is partnering with the Kansas Hospital Association to sponsor WWAD programs at hospitals across the state. WWAD is free to the public and requires no registration. A medical professional will spend a few minutes discussing a current health topic and then the remaining hour will be spent walking at your own pace, making social connections and enjoying the outdoors.

Be the Spark logo

Be the Spark

To increase Kansas teens' awareness of the importance of leading an active lifestyle, the Be the Spark initiative challenges teens to engage their peers in a healthier lifestyle. The Be the Spark initiative was started in 2017 and is now on its third round of funding. Each round, $150,000 is awarded to the Kansas Association for Youth Alumni Network (KAYAN) to administer a mini grant program to Kansas Association for Youth (KAY) clubs across the state. Over the course of the program, 34 Be the Spark grants have been awarded to KAY clubs to improve their communities so teens can be more physically and mentally healthy. 

Mini-grants help local KAY clubs to create and implement projects that will help their peers and future generations improve their lifetime physical and mental wellbeing.

Bike Share programs

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Bike Share ITC logo

Bike Share ICT provides the Wichita community with convenient, affordable access to bicycles as an easy, fun, healthy and eco-friendly means of transportation and recreation. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has been the primary sponsor of Bike Share ICT since it launched in 2017.

More than 200 bikes across 40 station locations are available to improve physical and mental health while connecting Wichita neighborhoods and building community.

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KANcycle logo

KANcycle is a rural bike share program offering 80 bikes across eight communities in north central Kansas: Salina, Minneapolis, Concordia, Belleville, Mankato, Beloit, Lincoln, and Ellsworth. A partnership between BCBSKS and OCCK, Inc., KANcycle is a great way to commute, exercise, and explore – all while enjoying fresh air and having fun. North Central Kansas is beautiful, and it’s even better by bike!