One of the best things you can do to keep your body, mind and spirit healthy is to spend time outdoors. Whether you like hiking, biking, camping, fishing, gardening or just going for walks – time spent in nature is important for your health and wellbeing. Find great parks, trails and outdoor events near you at NatureFind.
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50 Tips for Taking Exercise Outside
Source: experiencelife.com
Low in impact and high in results, swimming tops the charts when it comes to exercise. Swimming is a total-body routine that burns a lot of calories and is easy on your joints. Read More…
Source: webmd.com
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8 Reasons to Start Swimming
Feeling stressed? Everyone does at some point. When it gets out of hand, though, it can take a toll on your health. Taking steps to manage your stress is important to your overall wellbeing. And you’re in luck…there’s an app for that!
Centered is a mobile app from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). It’s a powerful stress management tool that guides you through meditation sessions and records your steps, like a pedometer. Get the free Centered download for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone Plus here.
Red, White & Blue Potato Salad: Dressed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette and fresh mint, this healthy red-white-and-blue potato salad makes the perfect potluck contribution. Read More…
Grilled Peach Sundaes: Fruit on the grill? Most definitely! Try grilling other stone fruit or pineapple too! Read More…
Find more all American 4th of July recipes here.
Source: eatingwell.com
Congratulations to Team Elegant East, winners of the 2015 Step-It-Up! Team Challenge. The seven-member team logged a whopping 459,416 steps per member, the highest average steps per member of the competition. When the competition on May 29, Team Elegant East had racked up 3,215,910 steps, far exceeding the competition goal of 2 million steps.
Way to go Team Elegant East: Denise G; Jonathan H; Tracey T; Albert R; Charles M; Ralph T; and Russ K. Each team member received a $250 gift card and 250 bWell points for their stunning victory.
Team Step’R Up! logged a total of 3,726,752 steps. They averaged 310,729 steps per member and met the 2 million steps team goal. While they fell short on average-steps-per-team member, each of the 12 team members won a $250 gift card and 250 bWell points in the random prize draw. Congratulations to Team Step’R Up!: Azzie M; Carol B; Janet M; Kellie P; Larry B; Leslie H; Tina W; Ashley G; Debra H; Gary G; Kelly B; and Russell C.
A total of 76 teams competed in the Step-It-Up! Challenge this year and logged a total of 146,878,164 steps. Kudos to Team Stepping Toward Excellence for logging the most activity during the competition – 5,253,961 steps!
Win or lose, all competitors should be proud of their effort. Keep reaching for the next level of health and continue to inspire and encourage each other.
We’ve got just over one month to go before the bWell wellness program wraps up for 2015. As of mid-June, of those who registered for bWell, more than half had reached one of the three reward levels:
The deadline for earning bWell points is Friday, July 31, 2015, so be sure to remain active on mybmcwellness.com throughout July. If you reach reward Level 2 by July 31, you’ll receive a $600 discount on your 2016 medical premiums. If you reach reward Level 3, you could win one of the “10 in 2015” prizes:
See the bWell 2015 program overview for details. Awards and final stats will be announced in August. Good luck!
Kelly B, a member of the Order Management team in Houston, won a $250 gift card for participating in the Step-It-Up! Team Challenge in May. Kelly says the bWell program took her active lifestyle to a whole new level this year.
Kelly has earned more than 5,000 bWell points since signing up for bWell 2015 in February. She’s one of 72 people who have reached reward Level 3 “Leading the Pack” as of mid-June.
“I love the variety of challenges this year, and I participated in most of them. Challenges motivate me and I enjoy tracking my good health habits. It was good to see the focus on total wellness this year, like the Happy for 100 Days Challenge. The prizes are great, too. I worked hard and I want to win a spa vacation! And who wouldn’t want to save money on medical coverage,” she says.
Kelly is quick to recognize the role her boss plays in her success with bWell. “He encourages my working out at the onsite gym and doesn’t give me a hard time if I’m running late, she says, adding “BMC provides these programs and opportunities to improve our health and when we take advantage of it, the company benefits by having happier people doing good work.
Even if I don’t win a spa vacation, I still win big. I enjoy my reputation as the ‘healthy’ one around here. Besides, wellness pays off in so many ways. I’m feeling better. I’ve gained more muscle mass and tone. My clothes fit better, and I enjoy being ‘fabulous at 50’,” Kelly says.
Even if you haven’t participated in the BMC bWell program this year, you still have until July 31, 2015 to earn 1,000 bWell points. Complete these two activities by the deadline and you’ll pay $200 less for your medical coverage next year:
BMC will deposit the second company-provided contribution to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) in July. The July deposit is 50% of BMC’s total annual contribution.
If you won’t reach the IRS annual limit by year-end, there’s still time to maximize your contributions. You’ll reduce your 2015 taxable income and your tax bill.
2015 Limits
The annual HSA contribution maximum varies based on who you cover and your salary. The 2015 maximum HSA contribution is $3,350 for "you only" coverage or $6,650 for other coverage levels. If you are 55 or over, you can add $1,000 to the limit. Keep in mind that both your contributions and BMC’s count toward your maximum. You can start, stop or change your HSA contributions at any time during the year.
How to Change Your Contributions
Log on to My BMC Benefits & Compensation, click on Your Benefits Resources and follow these steps to make the change. You can also call 1-877-262-4849 and select Your Spending Accounts.
Sinus problems, cold symptoms, allergies, sunburns and insect bites can make your vacation less enjoyable. With Teladoc, you can contact a board-certified physician 24/7 no matter where you are. Within minutes, they'll call you back to help resolve your health issue. Plus, if necessary, the doctor can also send a prescription to a nearby pharmacy. That's better than making a waiting room one of your travel destinations!
Register with Teladoc Before Your Trip
To take full advantage of this service, set up your account and complete your medical history today.
Then, when you need care right away, a Teladoc doctor is only a call or click away. Just go online or call 1-800-835-2362.
Get the details.
As students and their parents shift from summer routines into “back-to-work” mode, it’s not unusual to feel excited, nervous or even overwhelmed. However, parents can take several small steps to minimize the toll of back-to-school stress.
Your Magellan EAP invites you to a complimentary webinar, “Coping with Child Anxiety,” on Wednesday, July 8, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Central. Space is limited, so be sure to register now.
Log on and learn!
Can’t attend the webinar? Look for Back to School Prep on the Magellan member website under the Library/In the Spotlight section. (When prompted, type in BMC’s toll-free EAP number, 1-800-327-1393).
Useful Links:
Identifying signs of stress in your children or teens
After you’ve considered the people in your life who will inherit your legacy, the next step is to list your assets and understand how they are passed to beneficiaries. Get the details about how assets can be handled in an estate to avoid common mistakes. Read More…
Source: Fidelity.com
MyBMC Rewards provides a snapshot of your pay, retirement benefits, health and insurance benefits and corporate programs. Visit MyBMC Rewards to:
Go online anytime or call 877-262-4849. Representatives are available from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Eastern time.
From enrollment reminders to important 401(k) information and benefits updates, you can be the first to know when your attention or action is required.
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