To take good care of others—our patients and members, our families or our teammates at work—we first have to take care of ourselves.

That’s why I’m happy to report that Thrive Across America is back!  The friendly competition invites Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians to take a virtual tour across all eight regions of the organization and runs through mid-November.

Any activity that gets the heart pumping and increases breathing rate for at least ten consecutive minutes counts for Thrive Across America — from raking the leaves or playing basketball to walking a few extra blocks to get morning coffee. It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced athlete, if you have taken a break from your routine or if you are just starting out. Thrive Across America encourages you to start wherever you are.

This year, Thrive Across America includes new attractions along the route, a fun KP trivia contest, opportunities to win prizes and earn a t-shirt, and more. Also, if you participate in KP Walk!, your walking minutes count towards both programs.

Teams have more fun

You can participate individually or on a team, but as our work shows, teams get better results and have more fun. I encourage our union members to take a lead in this effort. Become a Thrive Across America champion in your department. As members of unit based teams, you can integrate group exercise into your goals. You can help make KP the best place to work partly because you are improving your health while at work!

Prevention is the best medicine

Most importantly, I just encourage everyone to exercise as much as possible. I can think of nothing more important to do for oneself, for our loved ones and for the communities in which we live, work and contribute. Exercise, along with healthy eating, is the best way to achieve sustained good health. And when we have good health, we need less health care! 

The cost of health care, including our own coverage, is driven in large part by the treatment of preventable conditions, and we know that regular exercise and healthy eating are the best methods for prevention.

Thrive Across America has been recognized as a leading program in the U.S. and won prestigious awards for its activation of 20,000 Kaiser Permanente workers and physicians in 2010. This year the program aims to involve even more people.