Ton of Fun-UnitedHealthcare & Fleet Feet Sarasota help residents step in the right direction to fitness and weight loss goals

Photos L to R: Ton of Fun program participants join in the final group workout for the summer session, one of the free bi-weekly workouts that were included in the registration cost. Beth Granger, UnitedHealthcare Health Strategies Consultant (far right), joins the Ton of Fun summer program participants for a celebratory toast at the graduation party where awards for the UnitedHealthcare step contest and weight loss rewards were handed out.

UnitedHealthcare and Fleet Feet Sports Sarasota continued their partnership as part of the Ton of Fun community-wide initiative to help local residents lose a ton of weight and take steps in the right direction on their fitness and weight loss journeys.

In addition to regularly scheduled workouts, including yoga classes and special goal setting, nutrition and healthy cooking information sessions, participants were also motivated through incentives that included gift card rewards for meeting 5K, 10K and half-marathon weight loss goals (3.1, 6.2 and 13.1 pounds respectively). Weekly e-news and a private Facebook group page also allowed participants and other community partners to provide ongoing support, share recipes and success stories and engage each other in living a healthy life.

More than 1.6 million miles covered

A special UnitedHealthcare Step Contest was also offered, which included a free pedometer and awards to the top three “steppers,” with the top performer, Denise Fuguere, tallied 627,677 steps or the equivalent of 313 miles over the 10-week session. Collectively, the 22 participants tallied more than 3.36 million steps, the equivalent of 1,689,067 miles or 64 marathons (based on 2,000 steps per mile).

Next Ton of Fun session starts September 19 – Registration now open

Registration is now open for the fall Ton of Fun session, which runs from September 19 – December 2, 2016. Cost is $75/person inclusive of bi-weekly workouts, a Couch to 5K training program/graduation run, information and education sessions, UnitedHealthcare step contest and pedometer with prizes, technical, gender specific training shirt, and access to nutrition, health and fitness professionals, and more. Visit www.fleetfeetsarasota.com for more information/registration.

About the Ton of Fun Weight Loss & Fitness Program

The Ton of Fun Challenge aims to help Sarasota, Fla. residents lead a healthier, fitter lifestyle, one day, one step, one recipe at a time. Access to local professionals and mentors in wellness, nutrition and fitness will provide participants with a well-rounded and balanced approach to weight loss, while offering an invaluable support network for all the people taking on this personal challenge.

Led by professionally certified Fleet Feet Sports Sarasota Coach and Director of Corporate Wellness Whitney Bartlett, UnitedHealthcare and other community partners provide additional support services, including nutrition and wellness guides, and other weight loss tools to help participants achieve their goals and learn how to incorporate healthier lifestyle habits into their daily lives. Additional support includes coaching and mentoring services, weekly nutrition tips, cooking demos, grocery-shopping-on-a-budget trips, recipes, free workouts, private weigh-ins, email updates, a private Facebook group and prize incentives as individuals reach weight-loss goals. For more information, visit www.fleetfeetsarasota.com.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 1 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.