man and a woman walking on a trail

Resources

How to Start a Walking Club:

Walking clubs are a wonderful way to get exercise, fresh air, and be social. They can be simple (with the same people, time, place and route) or more structured (with new people, a planned calendar, different days, times, meeting places, and routes), and can have enjoyable add-ons such as a fun name, club t-shirts, walk themes or activities, or even prizes!

Clubs can be small or large, and made up of people you already know or people new to you, from any group—book lovers, knitters, dog owners, musicians, neighborhoods, housing complexes, retirement communities, worksites, families, friends, young parents, seniors; the list goes on and on—or just people with different interests.

You might consider creating a free social media account to promote your walks and to connect your members. Or perhaps you could find a phone app to motivate, track, and/or challenge you and your friends. Search “walking,” “fitness,” or “walking challenge” in your phone’s app store.

All of the details about your club are up to your members. Be creative, have fun, and post pictures of your group and any invitations to WalkWicomico’s Facebook page!

Check out these resources for starting a walking club:

  • CREATE THE GOOD - Great video to get you started. Decent amount of details on starting a group, tips for finding local partners, and linkage to a fun challenge, “Get Fit on Rt. 66” (participant fee required).
  • STEP AHEAD TO AN ACTIVE LIFE - Simple toolkit to get a worksite walking club started. Includes a checklist, tips to get started, and a group walking log.
  • AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION - Lots of detail on how to have a successful walking club. Topics include Walking 101, how to start and promote a club, hosting a club event, and growing a walking club.
  • STARTING AND SUSTAINING A WALKING CLUB FOR OLDER ADULTS TOOLKIT - Easy to read, detailed information about walking clubs for older people. Includes goal setting, warm ups, enhancing the walking experience and short, informative videos.
  • AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EXERCISE: Walk This Way Guide - Detailed guide that includes the benefits of walking and fun facts about walking, as well as tips on perfecting your walking form, making walking more physically challenging, using fitness technology, incorporating walking into your daily routine, and creating walking challenges.

Local Walking Clubs:

Let’s make Wicomico a community of walkers—for health, fun, and fellowship! Register your walking club by completing this registration form. This will allow you to show your support for walking in Wicomico County, compete with other teams in walking challenges, show off your team to the community, and recruit new members if you want.