Walk by Faith Program Information
What is Walk by Faith?
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. During this 6-hour training, participants will work directly with Penn State Extension educators to learn how best to deliver, manage, and evaluate this program for their organization and/or community members.
Who is this for?
Community and faith-based organizations interested in implementing a wellness walking program
Are you interested?
If so, join us and learn how to implement the Walk by Faith program. Registration for a local Walk by Faith training includes one curriculum binder and allows for up to five participants per organization to attend.
What will you learn?
- how to implement the Walk by Faith curriculum in your community or faith-based organization
- tips for healthy eating and physical activity
- strategies for weight management
- techniques for program evaluation
How does the program work?
Organizations register up to five representatives (who are interested in implementing and leading the program) to attend a local Walk by Faith instructor training.
FAQ
Is there a cost for the program?
Yes. The cost of the training covers one curriculum binder and training for as many as five participants from your organization. You will receive the curriculum binder at the training.
Why is this program important?
The program 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, and reducing the intake of sodium and sweetened beverages.
How can Walk by Faith help improve our health?
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.
Why should your organization implement this program?
Local community organizations reach diverse groups of individuals and can provide social support and reinforcement to participants, especially when they share the goal of wanting to change health behaviors.
Additional questions?
Please contact Stacy Reed at 717-394-6851 or sls374@psu.edu or Laurie Weinreb-Welch at 570-433-3040 or law27@psu.edu.
How do I register?
Join us! To find a list of upcoming workshops, type "Walk by Faith" in the search bar at the top of this page.
Sources
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2016). Pennsylvania
state nutrition, physical activity, and obesity profile (PDF). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
World Health Organization. (2022). Cancer.
