First things first, this is a sponsored post. All opinions are entirely my own, and there is a very generous giveaway at the end. OK, so …
When it started getting cooler out and it was clear that Fall was approaching, I began stressing about my shoes. Specifically, the shoes I will wear when walking outdoors. This used to be simple for me, pre-bunion injury. But now that I’ve learned the importance of supportive shoes the hard way — for everyone, not just for people with injuries — I didn’t know what exactly to do.
It’s too cold for my beloved Birkenstocks, and I needed shoes that were supportive but also nice enough looking for the following: going for walks, my day at work, going out to a restaurant and during any weekend activities. Me being me, I stressed about this but I didn’t actually do anything about it either. I have so many shoes I’ve spent money on that I can no longer wear, and I didn’t want to throw more money away on something if it didn’t meet my needs.
When I learned about the Blue365® Program, I checked the website to see if my Blue Company was participating – and they were! Blue365 is a national program offered by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association to members of participating Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Companies. Blue365 offers discounts on a number of fitness, nutrition, wellness products and programs from a variety of companies, making it easy to incorporate healthy activities into your budget.
I browsed through all the deals to decide which I wanted to redeem. These offers are updated weekly in a “Groupon-like” way. They are divided into the following categories:
- Fitness
- Healthy Eating
- Living
- Personal Care
- Wellness
While I naturally gravitated to the ‘Fitness’ section first, I looked through all the deals to get a sense of what this program offers. I was surprised to see such a variety. The discounts all promoted healthy lifestyle choices, but that really included all aspects of health.
I saw deals from BodyMedia FIT Armband (tempting), Polar Heart Rate Monitor, Lasik eye surgery, vision products, gym memberships, hearing aids, and more.
All deals are aimed to help members live healthy, happy lives. And for me, a healthy, happy life means getting myself moving. At first I wasn’t sure what to choose. While that BodyMedia FIT Armband sounds awesome, I ultimately decided it was not for me.
I saw Reebok gave 20% off to Blue365 members, so I clicked through and browsed their site. Under the ‘Women’ category I saw a subcategory called ‘Walking.’ Curious, I went there. And then I saw them. The Reebok Premier Flex GTX VI sneaker. Not only were these sneakers specifically designed for walking but also to specifically accommodate orthotics (which I have because of my bunion, but they only fit in sneakers and not in dress shoes). They are black, cute and sleek-looking.
In other words, it looked like a shoe I could not only walk in this Fall but also wear anywhere I go without feeling self-conscious. And I felt VERY self-conscious this summer when I had to wear my bulky, blue, running sneakers with my summer dresses. I needed these shoes, and thanks to my Blue365 discount the $99 price tag didn’t defer me as it might otherwise have, because the shoes became $79. And really, without that discount I never would have even been ON the Reebok site to find out these babies existed.
When they arrived, I put them on and was relieved that they looked exactly as I’d hoped. They won’t be conspicuous at work or with jeans, dress pants, yoga pants or sweats. I walked all around a large store in them, and the more I walked the more comfortable they were. I LOVED them!
While I still dread Fall because I don’t do well with colder weather, I’m happy and relieved I can keep myself active through walking. It’s such a simple thing that I never thought about before, and I look forward to covering a lot of steps in these shoes thanks to my Blue365 deal. Hopefully other members will find items they need to improve their own health as well. That’s the idea.
Insured through a Blue Company? Sign up for Blue365 to gain access to deals at http://blue365deals.com/. If your Blue Company isn’t yet participating in the Blue365 Program, you can still sign up and will be notified when your Blue Company joins the Blue365 movement.
The Giveaway!
BlogHer is giving away two $500 VISA GIFT CARDS! All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win one of the two gift cards is leave a comment with your answer to this question: How are you planning to stay healthy through the Fall and holiday season?
