More than merchandise: Why mall walking programs are a good deal by Caitlin R. Anderson, BA, and Basia Belza, PhD, RN, FAAN

Mall walking is not the newest fitness craze, but it is an excellent mode of physical activity, especially for midlife and older adults. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a new resource entitled "Mall Walking: A Program Resource Guide," which delves into this decades-old practice. To create the evidence-informed manual, the CDC worked with researchers from across the nation to compile existing mall-walking research, perform environmental audits of malls, and interview mall-walking participants and program leaders. The result is a practical resource that promotes the development of mall walking programs and provides strategies to design, implement and evaluate them.