State of Illinois and Health Alliance keep employees and retirees on the move with Fall into Fitness Virtual 5K/10K Challenge, beginning September 15

CHICAGO – The State of Illinois and Health Alliance today announced the annual Fall into Fitness Virtual 5K/10K Challenge for State wellness plan members. Held September 15 – 25, 2023, the event offers a guided experience for individuals to make fitness goals, win prizes and engage with other wellness plan members.  It is sponsored by the Health Alliance, Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS), and Be Well Illinois, the State’s comprehensive plan to support the wellness needs of its workforce.

“We’re striving to give our members and their families the tools to live their best lives,” said CMS Acting Director Raven A. DeVaughn, “The successful Fall into Fitness Virtual 5K/10K and partnership with Health Alliance is key to our wellness strategy.  With the right education, skills, motivation, and social support, we aim to help our members adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles that lead to lower health risks and a better quality of life.”

The free virtual event is open to all State of Illinois employees, retirees and covered dependents. It allows participants to move at their own pace and choose a date and time within the two weeks to complete the challenge. Technology fueled fitness tools help participants track their steps and time and toggle between a step challenge and a timed run/walk.

Registration opens Friday, July 7, and runs through Monday, September 25, 2023, at: Fall into Fitness Virtual 5K/10K Challenge | Facebook.

“Staying physically active has a positive impact on all aspects of your life,” said Alison Jones, Health and Wellness Coordinator. “Not only does maintaining a consistently active lifestyle allow for better weight management, it is critical to strengthening bones, reducing the risk of chronic disease and improving brain health.”

“This fitness framework for participants makes it easier to choose to take a more active lifestyle. And many studies have proven the benefits of setting physical goals with a group.”

Health Alliance and Be Well Illinois will again offer on-demand digital tools to support challenge participants as they prepare for the event, including resources for stretching, nutrition, training and hydration.

 “We’re thrilled to celebrate our fourth year partnering with the State to help more community members find ways to lead healthier lives through the Fall into Fitness Challenge,” Sinead Rice Madigan, Health Alliance chief executive officer said. “At Health Alliance, we’ve seen how investing in yourself and your health can grow into long-term wellness improvements. This event sees participants of every age and ability from across the state finding connection and seeing an impact no matter if they run, jog or walk.”

All finishers will receive a Fall into Fitness sponsor t-shirt and a pin to proudly display on their employee badge, and they can download and print their personalized certificate of completion. Participants are encouraged to engage online on the Be Well Illinois Facebook event page and share their photos, signs, words of encouragement and celebrations of their accomplishments on race day. Those who help inspire their colleagues by sharing a photo of themselves training for the event and entering your results will earn a chance to win a $150 voucher to Hoka.com.

Health Alliance helps provide tools and information to help participants prepare for race day. As the insurance coverage provider for State employees and retirees, Health Alliance is committed to supporting all plan members toward improving their wellbeing. This event is also sponsored in part by Aetna, HealthLink, Delta Dental and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Topics include, among other offerings:

• A four-part video series about how to prepare to do a 5K or 10K step challenge or race (stretching, hydration, training and nutrition).
• Health and wellness blog highlighting the importance of physical activity.
• Regular reminders with recipes, insight and more on social media.
• Hally® health, a suite of wellness offerings and personalized health tools for members and the general public. Members get secure, instant access to their coverage by logging in to their Hally account through the MyChart app or on hally.com. They can manage their health plan and get the care they need anytime, anywhere.

Find these training resources on the Hally health webpage.

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About Health Alliance:

Health Alliance™ is a leading provider-driven health insurance plan based in Champaign, IL, serving Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio. The health plan is the top ranked Commercial Member Health Plan for customer satisfaction in Illinois/Indiana* based on the results of the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan StudySM. Established in 1980, Health Alliance is the largest health insurer in downstate Illinois and is part of Carle Health, an integrated system of healthcare services, which includes an eight-hospital system, multispecialty physician groups, as well as Carle Illinois College of Medicine and Stephens Family Clinical Research Institute.

In Illinois, Health Alliance offers individual and employer group plans, individual and group Medicare Advantage plans, and Medicare Supplement plans. In Iowa and Indiana, Health Alliance offers employer group plans and Medicare Advantage plans. And in Ohio, Health Alliance offers Medicare Advantage plans. For more information visit HealthAlliance.org.

*Health Alliance Medical Plans received the highest score in the Illinois/Indiana Region in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan Satisfaction Study of members’ satisfaction with their commercial health plan experience. Visit jdpower.com/awards for more details.

About CMS:

Central Management Services (CMS) is the operational engine working behind the scenes to enable the State’s more than 80 agencies, boards and commissions to deliver efficient, reliable services to all Illinois citizens. The Agency’s mission is to support the State by delivering innovative, responsive and effective services that provide the best value for Illinois State government and the people it serves.

The CMS Bureau of Benefits oversees the provision and administration of group health benefits for more than 440,000 members and their dependents, in four different insurance programs.

The Bureau also oversees the administration of basic and optional life insurance, dental and vision insurance, the Medical Care Assistance Program (MCAP), Dependent Care Assistant Program (DCAP), Commuter Savings Program (CSP) and Health Savings Account (HSA), as well as several other programs for employees and retirees.

About Be Well Illinois:

Be Well Illinois was launched in January 2021 by the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) to improve the overall health and wellness of the State of Illinois’ workforce. Be Well Illinois uses a comprehensive approach to wellness and incorporates educational resources and activities designed to improve physical, financial and mental health and raise awareness about the benefits of healthy eating, exercise and cultural topics.

Each month, the program sponsors targeted events and provides new articles, wellness webinars and resources on the Be Well Illinois website, Facebook page and via direct email communications to participants to support their overall health and wellness goals.