In the field of exercise and recreational sports, Merko focuses on creating exercise and sporting opportunities, helping to increase the number of healthy life years for everyone in Estonia. Merko’s largest sponsorship is the Estonian Health Trails project (Eesti Terviserajad SA), launched in 2005 with Swedbank and Eesti Energia. Its aim is promote healthy lifestyles by ensuring open-air exercise opportunities all year round and free of charge for as many Estonian people as possible.

There are 125 trails in natural areas all over Estonia. Visitors totalled about 8.4 million in 2023. The statistics are gathered using motion detectors along 71 of the biggest trails. The ones that saw the most use in 2023 were in the greater Tallinn area and larger towns: Pae Park (560,000 visitors), Harku (525,000), Nõmme (482,000), Pirita (458,000) and Keila (393,000). Kuressaare drew 370,000 visitors, Narva Äkkeküla trails 244,000, Järve in Tallinn, 237,000 and Rapla, 227,000.

Estonia has a total of 1,100 km of year-round trails maintained by a 200-strong maintenance team as volunteers or under contracts with local governments. Trail map signboards and markings aid in navigating the trails. Stretching and aerobics equipment, low-elevation ropes courses and balance beams, bicycle paths and pumptracks widen the possibilities. Some of the trails even have bike repair points and drinking water taps. By the end of 2023, weather sensors had been installed on 23 trails, and 18 had a trailcam to let skiers scout out conditions before heading to the track.

In 2023, the focus for Estonian Health Trails was on improving the multifunctionality and upgrading ease of use of the existing trails. Using support from the foundation, low-height ropes courses and balance courses for children were built along trails in Rakvere, Maardu, Tabasalu, Kõrvemaa, Äkkeküla, Lüllemäe, Rakke, Palivere, Sõmeru, Saku, Kuusalu and Lüllemäe. In cooperation with the Estonian Orienteering Federation, mobile orientation courses were installed in Abja-Paluoja, Holstre-Polli, Iisaku, Insikurmu, Karksi-Nuia, Kääriku, Loksa, Mammaste, Padise, Saku, Rapla, Vooremäe, Viljandi Lake, Kuremaa, Rohuneeme, Pirgu, Haanja, Rõuge, Vastseliina and Võru-Kubija. In 2023, a new dressing facility was built by Sõmeru trail and construction of similar buildings by Keila and Palivere trails started. In addition, construction of such facilities will start by Tähtvere, Kadrina, Paluküla and Äkkeküla in 2024, which will enhance the value of the trails for users and maintenance crews. In 2023, Maardu and Kuusalu trails were added. An extension of the illuminated Mähe section of the Pirita trail was completed, along with earth-moving works for the extension of the Karulaugu trail.

Ever since it was founded, the three co-founders supporters of Estonian Health Trails have invested 6 million euros into development and the total investment now stands at 60 million euros, including investments by state and local government and EU funding.