Walk With Ease
Walk with Ease is an evidence-based, physical activity program developed by the Arthritis Foundation to address symptoms of arthritis in older adults. It is endorsed by the CDC as a ‘lifestyle management’ program because it offers many benefits.
Our team has built capacity to deliver the WWE program locally and have established a sustainable model for implementation over time. The 6 week group program is delivered in community-based settings throughout Story County and is led by ISU students that are trained through a series of linked Practicum courses. For more information on the Walk with Ease program and ongoing research efforts, visit walkwitheaseISU.org.
The capabilities led our team to a CDC-funded randomized controlled trial to evaluate the potential for fall risk prevention. This project, conducted in collaboration with the Iowa Community HUB and an array of local partners (e.g. Mary Greeley Medical Center and McFarland Clinic) helped to establish the Story County Falls Prevention Coalition and refined methods for screening and clinical referrals to the HUB for enrollment in fall prevention programming (aka FRAIL: Fall Risk & Adult Intervention Linkages). The fall prevention trial led to another CDC-funded project to disseminate WWE and other arthritis-appropriate evidence-based interventions (AAEBIs). These projects are described on separate pages as they have independent (but linked) objectives.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact WalkwithEase@iastate.edu, and a member of our team will get back to you ASAP.
Individuals interested in participating in the project can contact WalkwithEase@iastate.edu, or complete our short online interest form by CLICKING HERE, or copying this link into your web browser: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/de035e5226ae44038bccde7fd94e8cc0
Additional Information
Walk with Ease – Partnerships to promote active living in seniors
Dr. Greg Welk
The CDC recommends Walk with Ease to promote older adult physical activity
Program Collaborators
Walk with Ease is offered with the support of several collaborating organizations. For more information on all of our partners, see below.
Exercyse is Medicine is an Iowa State University undergraduate student organization partnered with Kinesiology Department Faculty to promote physical activity across campus and in the local community
Community Connections for Public Health is an outreach group focused on building capacity in community settings for health-related programming. Visit https://www.ccph.iastate.edu/ for more information.