Blue Review
COVID-19 (APRIL 2020)

April 2020

Minority Health Month Spotlights Importance of Physical Activity for Overall Well-being

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH), April is National Minority Health Month Leaving Site Icon. The 2020 theme is Active & Healthy. As noted on the OMH website, “Simple changes to one’s daily routine can transform lives and reduce the risk of chronic diseases and other conditions that often are more common or severe among racial and ethnic minority groups.”1 During this unprecedented time of social distancing and self-isolation efforts related to 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) staying active may be more important than ever.

Bottom Line
In many Texas communities, access to local facilities that offer healthy lifestyle activities may be limited especially due to COVID-19. Individuals may feel distanced from the importance of exercise and how to exercise effectively. The idea of exercising at home may seem daunting amid other concerns, such as caring for children who are home from school or helping family members with limited mobility.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the COVID-19 may be stressful for people and communities.2 Stress during an infectious disease outbreak may include:

  • Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones
  • Changes in sleep or eating patterns
  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
  • Worsening of chronic health problems
  • Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs3

What Should You Do
It is important to discuss the connection between physical and emotional health for some of your patients in minority communities. With limited contact with patients at this time, here are some resources that may be helpful:

  • HHS Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Adobe Acrobat Icon (2nd edition) includes “information that helps Americans make healthy choices for themselves and their families, and discusses evidence-based, community-level interventions that can make being physically active the easy choice in all the places where people live, learn, work, and play.”4 This resource offers exercise guidelines for individuals at various stages, from preschool-aged children through older adults, as well as pregnant/postpartum women and adults with chronic health conditions.
  • HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) has a Move Your Way Leaving Site Icon site with easy-to-use resources. It includes Talk to Your Patients About Physical Activity Adobe Acrobat Icon and 60 A Day! Adobe Acrobat Icon fact sheets to get families moving, which will:
  • Boost moods
  • Sharpen focus
  • Reduce stress
  • Improve sleep5

How BCBSTX Is Helping
We offer our members complementary resources such as Well onTarget®. This online program offers digital self-management programs, health and wellness articles, an online health assessment, interactive tools and trackers, and more. Behavioral health programs also are offered. If members have questions, they can call the number on their BCBSTX ID card for help finding available resources.

Thank you for directing your patients to available resources to help them get active and stay healthy. By taking a few small steps toward staying active every day, your patients may end up making big changes in how they feel, physically and emotionally.

1 HHS OMH, National Minority Health Month, OMH Announces Theme for National Minority Health Month 2020. Accessed March 17, 2020, at https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf.

2 CDC, Taking Care of Your Emotional Health, September 2019, https://emergency.cdc.gov/coping/selfcare.asp

3 CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Daily Life & Coping, Stress and Coping. Accessed April 1, 2020, at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fcoping.html.

4 HHS. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. Washington, DC: 2018. Accessed March 17, 2020, at https://health.gov/our-work/physical-activity/current-guidelines.

5 HHS ODPHP. Move Your Way Campaign. Last updated: Feb. 2, 2020. Accessed March 17, 2020, at https://health.gov/our-work/physical-activity/move-your-way-campaign.

The above material is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician or other health care provider. Physicians and other health care providers are encouraged to use their own medical judgment based upon all available information and the condition of the patient in determining the appropriate course of treatment. References to other third party sources or organizations are not a representation, warranty or endorsement of such organization. Any questions regarding those organizations should be addressed to them directly. The fact that a service or treatment is described in this material is not a guarantee that the service or treatment is a covered benefit and members should refer to their certificate of coverage for more details, including benefits, limitations and exclusions. Regardless of benefits, the final decision about any service or treatment is between the member and their health care provider.