Abstract

This health promotion and education investigation sought to understand whether older adult casual walkers would commit to and enroll in a novel, twelve-week walking program that was designed to teach them walking is a safe form of physical activity. The Walk4Fitness (W4F) program, a quality of life, health and wellness endeavor was the test-bed used for a longitudinal pilot study. Specifically designed to provide the knowledge and tools for walking activities, W4F bolstered individual walker pursuits through a user-friendly and welcoming club-oriented environment. In addition, it was conducted at six demographically diverse and geographically discrete sites from around the state. The program demonstrated an application that not only addressed an ascendance of a seemingly sedentary older adult population in need of increased physical activity but also appeared to improve the personal health literacy and health outcomes of this rapidly growing cohort. The intrinsic atmosphere supported and encouraged all W4F participants to walk greater distances and improve their measured walk times over the course of their twelve-week enrollment.