Registration opens March 1 for the 2026 Walk Kansas program, an eight-week initiative offered by Kansas State University Extension designed to help participants build healthier habits through physical activity, nutrition and overall wellness.

The program runs March 22 through May 16 and is open to individuals and teams in Kansas and beyond.

“Walk Kansas is an eight-week health initiative,” said Sharolyn Jackson, state leader of K-State Extension’s Walk Kansas program. “It’s focused on physical activity, but it brings a lot more into the program than that. We also focus on wellness in general, on healthy eating, on managing stress and getting better sleep, all those things that factor into overall wellness.”

While Walk Kansas is primarily team-based, participants may also register as individuals. The new online system allows teams of any size, though four members is considered an ideal number. “A team of four is a great number because it’s a good size where you can encourage each other,” Jackson said.

“But if you just have a team of two, that’ll work too. It will prorate your activity minutes and put everybody on a level playing field.” Participants track minutes of activity or steps through the program’s online portal. The system automatically converts activity to miles, counting 15 minutes of activity as one mile or 2,000 steps as one mile. Walk Kansas is built on the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week.

Jackson describes moderate activity as working at a pace where a person can carry on a conversation, but not sing.

“It’s not just a leisurely stroll,” she said. “It’s picking up the pace a bit to get the heart rate going.”

The program also encourages participants to incorporate strengthening activities at least two days per week, such as resistance bands, light weights or body-weight exercises.

Beyond physical activity, Walk Kansas promotes healthy eating. Participants track fruit and vegetable intake through the online system, often discovering they eat fewer servings than they realized. Weekly newsletters provide educational information in a blog format, including tips for increasing activity, managing stress and improving sleep.

The program emphasizes a Mediterranean-style eating pattern and includes recipes aligned with each week’s nutrition message. Webinars — recorded for later viewing — cover topics such as gut health, workplace relationships, fostering kindness and connection, increasing activity at work and communicating effectively with health care providers.

Jackson said organizers are placing additional emphasis this year on workplace participation. More than half of Walk Kansas teams historically have formed at worksites.

“We spend a lot of time at work,” Jackson said. “If you’re working toward a common goal or supporting each other, people feel better and are probably less inclined to miss work.”

She added that employers who promote wellness programs may see benefits such as improved productivity, enhanced morale and teamwork, reduced long-term health care and workers’ compensation costs, and improved employee retention.

Walk Kansas averages more than 4,000 participants statewide each year. There are no age limits; participants have ranged from young children to people in their 90s. Youth through high school may participate at no cost.

The standard registration fee is $10 per person, which covers access to the online tracking system and program materials. Participants also may invite friends or family members from outside Kansas — even overseas — to join their teams.

“We’re just trying to get people to get up and moving whatever way they can,” Jackson said. “How can you build more movement into your day? Whatever little tips and tricks we can offer, we’ll provide those through Walk Kansas.”

_ _ _

More information and registration details are available at walkkansas.org.