Last weekend when I was in Savannah, Ga., I participated in the Walgreens Way To Well Health Tour, which made a stop at the Fitbloggin’ 14 conference hotel. The Walgreens bus is touring the country to offer preventative and early detection health assessments to communities. It is a FREE service available to all adults age 18 and over.
The tests include total cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, body composition, skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, visceral fat, real body age and body weight. Collectively the health tests are valued at over $100, but the entire screening is free!
The friendly staff made the entire process enjoyable, and it only took about 15 minutes. So easy!
My health screenings took place inside the bus, which is set up like a clinic with curtain partitions for privacy between patients. All tests are performed by certified wellness staff. It is also fully HIPPA compliant, so confidentiality of all of your information is assured.
No appointments are necessary. First, I signed in at the table outside the bus.
Inside the bus, I met with Yesenia, who took my blood pressure and did a finger stick for the blood test. It was super quick, and I promise you it didn’t hurt me one bit. No worries.
Then, I moved over to the second station and Davidson had me step on a special scale and hold handles for a minute or so. This instrument measures seven key weight and fat indicators using one device. The seven-in-one test includes: body weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, skeletal muscle, body age, resting metabolism and visceral fat. The test is administered using non-invasive body sensing technology in a device similar to a floor-based scale. Literally, you just stand there and hold it. Piece of cake!
After a few minutes while my results processed, local Walgreens pharmacist Jaime handed me a print out and walked through my results in comparison to the healthy ranges for a woman my age. My stats looked good. In addition, I also found out that my body age was nearly a decade younger than my actual age — yay! More proof that my new healthy lifestyle is paying off.
I was also very interested to learn my fat and muscle percentages, and my resting metabolism which is 1,461 calories. That’s an important number to know, because now I know the number to base my daily caloric intake on for weight loss or for maintenance, instead of just guessing.
That’s it, and I was done. Easy peasy.
I was also excited to learn that Walgreens’ Balance Rewards program could be linked with my new FitBit for rewards points. For every mile I walk that’s logged on my FitBit (which is done completely automatically, since I synced it to my account), I earn 20 points on my Balance Rewards card! I can also earn points by setting goals, completing other activities, weight tracking, and for the blood pressure and glucose tests that I got on the bus. Just by simply logging my healthy choices, I can earn money off my Walgreens purchases. All you have to do is join the free Balance Rewards for Healthy Choices program.
In my first three days, I’ve earned 860 Walgreens rewards points. FitBit says I’ve taken 24,307 steps, which includes two 4 mile runs, walking around the conference, and some sightseeing in Savannah.
I’d never used a fitness tracker before. This is really going to help me in my fitness journey, and I’m earning cash off at Walgreens at the same time. How cool is that?!
The Walgreens Way to Well tour is winding its way across the country, so be sure to take advantage of this free opportunity when it comes to your town. The schedule is posted at waytowelltour.com, where you can enter your zip code and see the stops near you.
It’s coming to my area in North Carolina the week of August 4, and I’m definitely encouraging my friends and family to hop on the bus for their free screenings.
Afterwards, I joined some other bloggers in filming a video clip for Walgreens on the healthy choices we make. I gave my top tip, which is set a time every day to work out. It was fun doing this and I can’t wait to see it!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Walgreens. I was provided a FitBit and compensation for my assistance in helping get the word out about the Way to Well Health Tour. I’m excited to be a part of this campaign and to promote this valuable service to the community. All opinions are my own.
