Walking bus brings exercise to Pitt

Foot power is moving a bus through the Pitt campus and around Flagstaff Hill in Schenley… Foot power is moving a bus through the Pitt campus and around Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. The Walking Health Bus promotes a healthy break in the day and is a great way to meet different University staffers and students on campus.

Although there is no physical bus involved in the normal sense of the word, the walkers travel in a group around campus and can get on or off the bus at specific “stops,” like a real bus.

The first stop is in front of Trees Hall at noon where the driver and Walking Health Bus founder, Deborah Aaron, University of Pittsburgh assistant professor of health, physical and recreation education and epidemiology, can be found.

The next stop is down Darragh Street to Salk Hall, the dental school, for the 12:02 p.m. pick-up. The bus stops on the Darragh Street side of Salk Hall. After that, the bus travels down DeSoto Street to the Graduate School of Public Health for the 12:11 p.m. pick-up. The Bouquet Street entrance of Posvar Hall is the last scheduled stop at 12:16 p.m., but anyone can jump on the bus at any time.

After crossing the Schenley Bridge into Schenley Park, the bus cruises by the front of Phipps Conservatory so the group can check on the spring flowers poking up through the black earth. The riders on the Walking Health Bus stride at their own pace through the campus and the park.

Following the walk around Flagstaff Hill, the first stop is Posvar Hall, then the Graduate School of Public Health, up the hill to Salk Hall and returning to Trees Hall at or around 1 p.m.

Aaron began the Walking Health Bus in September of 2002 with a few friends and now the passenger list is growing weekly. She is encouraging everyone, staff and students, to join her walking to better health.

Aaron said the one-hour 3.8-mile walk could burn off about 350 calories. She added, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American College of Sports Medicine is recommending a person accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on all days of the week.

Aaron said, “It’s made me feel better in body and mind.”

Aaron began the Walking Health Bus after she learned of a similar program in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. The Jefferson County program, named the Children’s Walking Bus, began as a program for school children to walk to and from school as a group.

The bus rolls Monday, Wednesday and Friday from March to December rain or shine. However, the Walking Health Bus is cancelled when thunderstorms are in the area.