Beginning Tuesday, faculty, staff and students will have a chance to join Walking Gators, a Healthy Gators 2010 program consisting of walking routes throughout campus.
The program kicks off at Library East with first lady Chris Machen walking the Century Tower Route at 12:15 p.m.
"The overall mission of the Healthy Gators 2010 coalition is to promote a healthier campus," said Shirley Haberman, director of GatorWell Health Promotion Services. "People will be able to benefit from the program because they can exercise during lunch."
Walking Gators is a program consisting of six courses around campus including the Century Tower Route, Cultural Plaza Route, Swamp Route and Uphill Challenge Route.
Participants will meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 12:15 p.m. and walk one mile for about 20 minutes. Those interested in walking are not required to sign up in advance and can attend any course.
Participants can begin at each route's starting point or can join at designated pick-up points and times.
The program originated from a similar activity at the University of Pittsburgh in September 2002 called Walking Bus.
As participants circle around the designated points of each route, they have the choice to stay on or "get off the bus" and go back to class or work, Haberman said.
"A lot of planning went into this program," she said. "We are really doing it on a much larger scale so the whole UF community can take advantage of it."
