FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas and National Fitness Campaign provide free fitness for everyone in the UT Dallas Community
State-of-the-Art Outdoor Fitness Court Studio® Coming to University Recreation
(RICHARDSON, TEXAS – April 26, 2023) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) today announced a partnership to bring an outdoor Fitness Court® Studio and digital wellness programming to the UT Dallas campus. The Fitness Court Studio, located on campus at 842 Loop Rd SW, will open on Thursday, May 4 at 11 a.m. with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony. The UT Dallas Fitness Court Studio will be the first to launch in the state of Texas.
Surrounded by a walking trail and visible right at the entrance of campus, the location of the Fitness Court Studio will also serve as a wellness hub and be part of other outdoor offerings such as basketball, tennis, sand volleyball and soccer. The Fitness Court Studio will be accessible to approximately 31,750 students and 3,000 faculty and staff.
This Fitness Court Studio was developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, UT Dallas and NFC to expand free access to high quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities and schools around the state. The Fitness Court Studio is twice the size of a standard Fitness Court, providing over 2,000 square feet of healthy infrastructure. With the Fitness Court Studio, classes such as yoga, pilates, zumba or stretching can take place while the Fitness Court is utilized for simultaneous group and individual workouts.
Created with people aged 14 and over and with all abilities in mind, the workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Users are encouraged to download the free Fitness Court App which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness experience.
“On average, one in two adults don’t have enough aerobic physical activity in their day-to-day lives, which can lead to chronic, yet preventable, conditions,” said Sheena Payne, director of community affairs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. “Helping fund these Fitness Courts is just one more way we can work toward all Texans having access to optimal health outcomes right in their own community.”
UT Dallas will have one of 20 outdoor Fitness Courts in a series of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Fitness Courts that will be constructed in easily accessible public spaces this year.
“One of the core values of University Recreation is Innovative Thinking,” said Tricia Losavio, Director of University Recreation at UT Dallas. “This partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas along with the National Fitness Campaign has allowed us to ‘think outside the box’ and offer a whole new opportunity for students and members of the UTD community. The outdoor Fitness Court Studio will provide unique programming ideas, enhanced outdoor workouts, and a self-paced workout area.”
“National Fitness Campaign is proud to welcome UT Dallas to the campaign as a leader in Texas, opening the first Fitness Court Studio in the state, championing health and wellness for their campus community,” said Mitch Menaged, founder of NFC. “We are proud to continue our mission of getting people moving outdoors and helping communities combat the fiscal and humanitarian costs of sedentary lifestyles.”
The UT Dallas community is invited to attend the launch event on Thursday, May 4 at 11 a.m. as part of the University’s Stressbusters week to try the Fitness Court Studio. For more information on events during Stressbusters, visit https://stressbusters.utdallas.edu/ or contact University Recreation at 972-883-7461.
For more information on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas’ support of NFC, please visit https://nationalfitnesscampaign.com/texas.
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About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) — the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas — is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and health care practitioners, and 500 hospitals to serve more than 6 million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the country's largest customer-owned health insurer. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About NFC
Founded in San Francisco in 1979, National Fitness Campaign (NFC) is a wellness consulting firm that provides programs and services to cities, schools and sponsors with the mission to build healthy communities. NFC delivers an integrated wellness initiative, centered on the world’s best outdoor gym: The Fitness Court®. The Campaign is planning its 500th Healthy Community, uniting the country’s largest public-private partnership in support of wellness with the goal of building a Fitness Court within a 10-minute bike ride of every American. Follow us on social media @NatFitCampaign and #Fitnesscourt.
