Students, faculty, staff and community members participating in the Start Somewhere Walk will fill campus at noon Friday. Promoting walking as a way to improve health, the Start Somewhere Walk is part of Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative.

The Nutrition and Wellness Research Center is helping to coordinate and promote the campaign at Iowa State. Greg Welk, director for clinical research and community outreach at the Nutrition and Wellness Research Center, and Mary Savage, community outreach coordinator, are both highly involved in the project and have been working with faculty and staff at Iowa State University, several kinesiology and health classes and community members to promote the walk.

“Gov. Terry Branstad asked that every community in Iowa start a walk at noon on Oct. 7 as part of Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative,” Savage said.

Branstad posted a message on the Healthiest State Initiative website stating, “Our goal is to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation in just five years.”

Dr. Pamela White, College of Human Sciences dean, is part if the advisory board for the Healthiest State Initiative.

“The point [of the Start Somewhere Walk] is to get everyone moving as a way to promote physical activity and health. Once people start exercising as a regular part of their lives, they will be more likely to keep it up. The event will draw attention to our need for regular physical activity and a reminder to plan for it every day,” White said.

“When students leave class on Friday, we ask that they join a route around campus,” Savage said.

“We have mapped out routes in West, East and Central Campus, along with a route at Vet Med and a South-loop and North-loop in the research park. As there are many routes throughout campus, students should only need to walk a few steps before being able to join a planned route. A route leader will lead each route and students can ‘jump in’ at any point. The loops are only 1 kilometer long and will only take about 12 minutes to complete,” Savage said.