Physical activity

Our Family and Community Health Program has a robust set of resources and programs for active living. These tools help individuals, families, organizations, and communities adopt, implement, and sustain a physically active lifestyle. We also provide expertise and tools to assess programs’ effectiveness and to understand the quality of physical activity environments.

2023 PAAL Impact Report

Explore highlights from Physical Activity and Active Living (PAAL) programs and initiatives in calendar year 2023. This report shares reach metrics, evaluation data, success stories, and scholarship from PAAL-supported programs.

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Credit: Alyson Yates (Cropped from original)

Statewide Programs

BEPA 2.0

BEPA 2.0 is a school-based physical activity program aligned to health and physical education standards. BEPA 2.0 can be used before, during, or after school, both inside and outside of the classroom, to increase children’s physical activity time at school.

Program

Better Bones and Balance®

Better Bones and Balance® is an exercise program designed to gradually improve balance and strength to avoid falls and maintain independence.

Program

StrongPeople™

StrongPeople™ is a nationally recognized, evidence-based community exercise program designed to increase the number of mid-life and older women participating in safe and effective strength training.

Program

Walk With Ease

Walk With Ease (WWE) is an exercise program that can reduce pain and improve overall health. If you can be on your feet for 10 minutes without increased pain, you can have success with Walk With Ease!

Program

Extension Programs

Extension helps establish a statewide Walk With Ease referral process

A statewide process has been established through both Samaritan Health Services Health Education and Oregon Wellness Network to conduct health care referrals to the Walk with Ease program.

Ellen Radcliffe | Feb 2024 | Impact story

Oregon communities strive for health and longevity in Blue Zones Project

Residents get on board to encourage healthier people and place.

Lauren Kraemer | Jan 2023 | Impact story

BEPA 2.0 has students stepping up their physical activity

BEPA Toolkit toolkit was borne out of a unique school-based approach to obesity prevention in six rural school districts.

Kathy Gunter | Oct 2022 | Impact story

More Extension programs

Try these activities at home!

Families can play BEPA 2.0 activities at home with either the English and Spanish instructions to increase their daily physical activity.

Try out:

Bean Bag Balance
Breakfast Song
Bucket Ball
Food Group Ball Pass
Muscle Tag
And more!

See all the activities

Photo: USDA Food & Nutrition Service (Cropped from original)

Latest News

StrongWomen participants and volunteers gain a resource in new website

The website provides participants with everything they need to know about the program, including exercise videos that allow them to follow along at home.

Chris Branam | Feb 24, 2021 | News story

4-H youth explore nature and learn a healthy activity in new hiking club

Youths in the fourth through sixth grades gained a better understanding of how to enjoy hiking safely, while at the same time they experienced a lifelong activity that promotes a healthy and active lifestyle

Chris Branam | Nov 18, 2020 | News story

My Hair My Health PDX! uplifts and empowers Black women

The conference uses hair topics as a platform to promote healthy eating and active living.

Chris Branam | Oct 7, 2020 | News story

Browse all news

Related Tools

SPAN-ET: The School Physical Activity and Nutrition Environment Tool (SPAN-ET) was developed to assess school resources and readiness to improve nutrition and physical activity environments, suggest appropriate improvement strategies, and score impacts resulting from environmentally-based treatments.
HEAL MAPPS™: HEAL MAPPS™ helps community stakeholders document people’s experience of place with respect to supports and barriers for habitual healthy eating and physical activity.

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Health outreach

Nutrition and healthy eating

Recipes

Healthy homes

Healthy aging

Youth education resources

Meet Our Experts

Kathy Gunter

Professor and Extension Specialist

Physical Activity and Active Living Program Director

Allison Harris

Nutrition Program Coordinator (Former)

Walk With Ease

Lauren Kraemer

Associate Professor, Family and Community Health

Contact me with all your health and wellness questions in the Columbia River Gorge.

Thomas Packebush

Faculty Research Assistant

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