Dozens of Helsana Trails across Switzerland designed to promote daily exercise — on foot
Here’s the online introduction to an amazing selection of trails in one of the most wonderful countries on the planet:
“Helsana-Trails
Um die tägliche Bewegung zu fördern, unterstützt Helsana den Aufbau und Unterhalt von Helsana-Trails. Diese Rundkurse eignen sich besonders für das tägliche Training von Running, Walking und Nordic Walking.”
Translated into English, that means, “In order to promote daily exercise, Helsana supports the construction and maintainance of Helsana Trails. These loops are especially suited for daily training in running, walking and Nordic Walking.”
What you have to know is that Helsana is a health insuror. Ah, if only there were such enlightenment in the US (and even Canada)! The Helsana Trails website includes a map of Switzerland showing every location, including the country’s largest cities and some of its smaller resort communities. The image above left is from the wellness-oriented resort of Leukerbad, but believe me that the Helsana Trails are not normally as congested as they are for this photo. The trails are all signed with useful information, not just the normal distances and directions but also tips about the activities for which they are designed. This is useful because they are promoted for both beginners and people in good shape. And because it’s Switzerland, I’ll wager that no one has used the signs for target practice.
Then, there’s a link to Ryffel Running courses, classes and workshops in running, fitness walking in general, Nordic Walking in particular and other fitness activities. And, by he way, the Helsana insurance group will pay between 30 and 50 Swiss francs per course for people it insures. The smart Swiss understand that fitness and preventive measures stave off many health problems. Ryffel Running’s website also includes a map of venues where their Nordic Walking programs are offered.
Anyone who reads German will be impressed by the extent and ambition of this insurance company’s wellness programs, of which the Helsana Trails are just one small component. And I wish that I could post the maps, or an example of the trail sign, on this blog.
