Penn Walking Program
Members of the Penn community got a taste of some fitness and fun at the Fall 5K Walk held on Nov. 6, 2009.
Click here to view photos.
Walk to Get Fit and Healthy!
Want to improve your health with a program that fits your schedule and can help keep you motivated? Join the Penn Walking Program! The Penn Walking Program is free, open to all Penn faculty and staff, and most importantly, fun. Read on for more information, or just click here to learn how to register and start participating today!
» What Is the Penn Walking Program?
» Why Should I Join the Penn Walking Program?
» When Do Penn Walking Program Sessions Take Place, and When Can I Register?
» How Does the Penn Walking Program Work?
» Weekly Group Walks
» How Do I Track My Progress?
» What Happens if I Lose My Pedometer?
» Where Should I Go if I Still Have Questions?
The Penn Walking Program is a flexible, motivational health and wellness resource that provides you with materials and support that can help you meet your fitness goals. The program is structured in 12-week sessions with specific milestones, but you can start participating at any time—there’s no need to wait for the start of a new session. When you join the Penn Walking Program, you’ll receive:
- A free pedometer to help you track your steps and mileage
- A free Penn Walking Program t-shirt
- Access to the Penn Walking Program tracking website, where you can track your progress online
- A tracking booklet that lets you can track your progress manually
- Weekly motivational/informational emails (you can choose not to receive emails if you wish)
- Information about the group walks held every Friday
People join the Penn Walking Program for all kinds of reasons. Exercise can help you reduce reduce stress, increase energy, and of course improve your overall health. Most fitness experts recommend at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day, most days of the week. But this kind—and amount— of activity can sound intimidating, and can be hard to fit into your schedule and lifestyle without a plan! That’s where walking, and the Penn Walking Program, come in.
Walking is one of the easiest activities to fit into your daily routine. It requires very little preparation other than good shoes and a desire to succeed, and can be done anytime, anywhere, without
special equipment or facilities. Walking doesn't need to interfere with work demands and can even be incorporated into a normal workday, if desired, by adding a walk to your lunch hour.
Participants in the Penn Walking Program have reported feeling better mentally, physically, and emotionally. It’s no wonder—regular physical activity can decrease your risk for serious illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. It can also increase your immunity to some of the common, easily communicable diseases that you are exposed to on a daily basis, such as colds and other viruses.
The Walking Program is structured in 12-week sessions to give you milestones that will help keep you
motivated, but you can start participating at any time—even if the start date of the current session
has passed. To register, simply contact Human Resources at (215) 898-5116 or .
| SPRING 2009 |
March 9, 2009 – May 31, 2009 |
| SUMMER 2009 |
July 6, 2009 – September 28, 2009 |
| FALL 2009 |
September 28, 2009 – November 22, 2009 |
| HOLIDAY SEASON 2009 |
November 23, 2009 – January 10, 2010 |
| WINTER 2010 |
January 11, 2010 – April 4, 2010 |
Joining and participating in the program is simple. Here’s how it works:
- Register by contacting Human Resources at 215-898-5116 or .
Note: You must contact Human Resources in order to register. Signing in to the tracking website alone will not register you for the Penn Walking Program. However, if you’ve participated in past sessions of the program, there’s no need to re-register every season.
- You will receive a welcome packet, including your free pedometer, tracking booklet, and Walking Program t-shirt via intramural mail.
- Start walking (or jogging or running, if you prefer). Sample routes, themed walks and other ideas about where to go are available here.
- Keep track of your progress with the Penn Walking Program tracking website or your personal tracking booklet.
- Feel happier and healthier!
Group walks are held every Friday and led by Suzanne Smith, Health Promotion Specialist for Human Resources. Walking groups meet at the southwest corner of 34th and Walnut Streets (across the street from Starbucks) according to the following schedule:
| Time |
Level |
Speed |
| 11am - 12pm |
Beginner |
About 2.5 mph (a 25-minute mile) |
| 12:30pm - 1:30pm |
Intermediate |
About 3.0 mph (a 20-minute mile) |
You can track your progress online using the
tracking website or manually
using a tracking booklet:
- Online tracking
- The Walking Program Tracking website offers an easy way to track your efforts online and see how you are doing day-to-day, week-to-week, and season-to-season. You can also measure your progress against others in your age group, job type, school or center, and/or gender.
Remember that you must contact Human Resources in order to register for the Penn Walking Program. Signing in to the tracking website will not register you for the walking program; it will simply allow you to track your progress once you’ve registered.
- To access the online tracking website, go to http://pennwalking.upenn.edu. If you have not used the site before, click on “New User Registration” to enter your name and create a User ID and password. If you would like to see how others in your demographic are doing, add the optional demographic information about yourself.
All information you provide will be held by a third party administrator in strictest confidence. We will not see any of it.
- Manual tracking
- If you prefer not to track your data online, you can track your progress manually using the tracking booklet you will receive in your welcome packet when you register. You can also download the booklet here [PDF].
We will supply Walking Program participants with one replacement pedometer,
free of charge. If you need a replacement, contact Human Resources at 215-898-5116 or .
Pedometers are also readily available online from a variety of sources, including www.pedometersusa.com. For reference, the pedometer provided to Penn Walking Program participants is the Sportline 340. Replacement batteries for pedometers are also easy to find online—most use common watch battery sizes. The Sportline 340 pedometer, for example, accepts a single LR1130 button cell battery. Most corner drug stores and chain stores stock this type of battery.
Please contact Human Resources at 215-898-5116 or with any questions.