Implementing a Structured Walking Program for PreK through 8th Grade Teachers

Physical inactivity has become a significant health concern not only in the United States but worldwide. Adults are becoming sedentary due to sitting at work and school, computer use, and motorized transportation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers experienced increased workloads, increased sedentary work time for virtual classes, and longer work hours. A PreK-8^th grade school system in the southeastern United States had health promotion and prevention programs for students but no health and wellness programs for teachers. Wellness programs can promote physical health and less worker absenteeism. At the completion of a 12-week walking program, the teacher's weekly time and distance walked increased. Additionally, there was a statistically significant increase in perceptions of activity levels (Mdn = 1) when participants participated in the structured walking program (Mdn = 2.76) compared to prior non-structured exercise activities (Mdn = 2.31), z = -3.15, p = .002. Participants in this 12-week structured walking program were more physically active and had increased perception of activity levels.