HealthWorks unveils campus walking maps

University Park, Pa. -- Ever wonder if walking to class might be faster than waiting for the bus? HealthWorks student volunteers wondered, too. Simon Holowatz, a community health educator at University Health Services (UHS) and HealthWorks advisor explains, “It all started with a conversation about the health benefits of walking instead of riding the Loop. Someone suggested that in many cases it might be faster and if students knew this, they might walk more often.” So HealthWorks volunteers crunched some numbers and found out.
 
The result is a series of campus walking maps, titled “Walk for Health”. Each map calculates distances from a residence hall or student apartment building to common campus destinations. Average times and calories burned are listed, too. Linda Ustaris (’08 NUTR, HealthWorks volunteer) was one of the students who developed the maps. “We really hope that the maps will promote a healthier lifestyle on campus.”
 
HealthWorks partnered with Residence Life to produce large walking maps that will be posted in each residence hall lobby. A lettersize version of the maps can be downloaded from the UHS website at http://www.sa.psu.edu/uhs/wellness/hw_resources.cfm.
 
The student group is also working on two-mile and four-mile jogging routes around campus and a master walking map that uses University Health Services as the central destination.
 
HealthWorks is a peer health outreach program dedicated to serving Penn State students through outreach events, and advocating for health related issues within the University community.  Students can learn more by visiting the HealthWorks Web site at http://www.sa.psu.edu/uhs/wellness/hwgeninfo.cfm.