Research has repeatedly shown that eating nutritious food and exercising is extremely beneficial not only in helping prevent disease but also during treatment and recovery. As part of the lifelong learning curriculum, Laurie Welch, a health educator at the Penn State University Cooperative Extension, will offer Walk By Faith Instructor Training.
As part of Penn State, one of the top 20 research institutions in the United States, Penn State Extension is dedicated to delivering unbiased, scientifically proven, evidence-based information to individuals, businesses, and communities across the Commonwealth and beyond.
According to their website, Walk by Faith is a 6 or 12-month healthy eating and walking program developed by the Penn State Cancer Institute to help community members understand how lifestyle changes can reduce their cancer risk.
The program is important because it encourages participants to make lifestyle changes to help achieve and maintain good health. During the program, participants set and track personal health goals while participating in informative sessions that provide motivation and support. Participants will also be encouraged to challenge themselves to become more physically active and to improve their eating patterns. Topics will include:
– Living actively.
– Eating more fruits and vegetables.
– Choosing healthy fats.
– Reducing the intake of sodium and sweetened beverages.
Walk By Faith can improve overall health as it directs and encourages participants to make healthy choices. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as limited consumption of fruits and vegetables, elevated consumption of sweetened beverages, and insufficient physical activity, can lead to related diseases.
The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2016) shows in its “Pennsylvania State Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Profile” how these behaviors have resulted in a high percentage of overweight and obese residents in our region.
Having a weight that is higher than what is considered a healthy weight for a given height is a risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
According to the World Health Organization (2022), about one-third of all cancer deaths may be related to preventable risk factors like poor diet and lack of physical activity.
Adopting a physically active lifestyle, maintaining a healthy eating pattern, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight are all ways to improve one’s health. The Walk by Faith program focuses on improving lifestyle behaviors to help participants manage their weight and prevent disease.
It is important for local community organizations to implement programs such as Walk By Faith because it is easier for them to reach diverse groups of individuals within their communities than outside organizations. In addition, local organizations are able to provide social support and reinforcement to participants, especially when they share the goal of wanting to change health behaviors.
Organizations interested in implementing the Walk by Faith curriculum in collaboration with Penn State Extension are invited to sign up for this six-hour training. (Coming in 2025). One curriculum is included for up to five participants per organization with registration.
Walk by Faith is a healthy eating and physical activity-focused walking program developed by the Penn State Cancer Institute to help communities understand how health changes can reduce cancer risk.
In partnership with Penn State Extension, you’ll be trained in how to effectively roll out this program at your organization over a six or twelve-month period. The training will consist of six hours of instruction in program delivery, program evaluation, and answering any logistical questions.
Who is this for?
Organizations interested in implementing a health and wellness walking program.
What will you Learn?
• How to implement and teach the Walk by Faith curriculum for your organization and community.
• Tips for healthy eating and physical activity.
• Strategies for weight management.
• Techniques for program evaluation.
• How to execute a successful program.
For more information or to register for the training, please contact Laurie Weinreb-Welch at 570-433-3040 or law27@psu.edu. https://extension.psu.edu/walk-by-faith-program-information. Registration opens in December!
If you are interested in having your non-profit organization or charitable event featured in Living Well, please contact me at dave.bellomo@gmail.com for consideration.
