Dr. Matthew Nice, Iota Upsilon Pi Chapter, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Hadyn Phillippi, Iota Upsilon Pi Chapter, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Katelyn Bucher, Iota Upsilon Pi Chapter, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Pledge to Miles is a wellness initiative where counseling students commit to walking goals over time. It promotes physical activity, social connection, and accountability through group engagement, progress tracking, and shared participation among students..

Pledge to Miles involves individuals signing up to commit to walk a certain number of miles over a given time period. Implementing a walking pledge is a simple yet powerful way to support student wellness. Walking has been shown to significantly improve mental well-being in students by reducing anxiety, combating symptoms of depression, and by providing a sense of accomplishment (Kelly et al., 2018). Not only does walking outside reduce stress and anxiety, but brief walks between study sessions can also improve attention, memory, and creativity, thus helping students manage academic pressure (Marselle et al. 2013). The goals for usage are to encourage individuals to remain physically active while providing accountability and a sense of community to promote physical, emotional, and social wellness. To further the sense of community, members who participate, sign the pledge that states, “I walk with respect to my mind, body, and journey. I promise to walk at a pace that is comfortable to me, focus on exercise as connection, mindfulness, and awareness rather than punishment or compensation. I support others’ walk with love and encouragement, and pledge to seek help from a trusted professional if I feel unsafe or triggered at any point. I honor my body's current ability and will do what feels safe for me.” Participants are invited to sign up and submit a target mileage to reach during the duration of the program. These mileage goals are recorded and posted for all participants to access such as logging walks in a shared OneDrive account, which aligns with successful models in campus programs by fostering peer connections and accountability (Golightly et al., 2017).

To encourage further engagement, organizers may utilize social media, wherein they solicit and post photo submissions of walks-in-progress and update the group on collective progress. To deepen community engagement, organizers can encourage participants to walk together and share photos. Integrating social media platforms, such as the CSI Instagram page, can be utilized to share progress and to encourage participants to engage with the community (Jacobs et al., 2021; Kalkbrenner et al., 2020). Additionally, Pledge for Miles is most appropriate for adult populations. To be adapted for children, miles ought to be logged by an adult who supervised the child during the walk. Further, because each participant selects their target mileage, there is inclusivity across a broad range of ability statuses. However, Pledge to Miles is not accessible for those with severe mobility restrictions. For these populations, organizers can suggest tracking an alternative activity. Participation in Pledge to Miles also assumes that individuals have a way to track distances walked. Not only does tracking improve outcomes, but accomplishment and adherence become greater in goals set by the student (Kassavou et al., 2013).

The wellness theory of the "Pledge to Miles" activity is the Indivisible Self (Myers & Sweeney, 2003). This model highlights a holistic view of wellness, including a physical wellness aspect which is central to the activity.

Reference(s):

Golightly, T., Thorne, K., Iglesias, A., Huebner, E., Michaelson-Chmelir, T., Yang, J., & Greco, K. (2017). Outreach as intervention: The evolution of outreach and preventive programming on college campuses. Psychological Services, 14(4), 451–460. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000198

 

Jacobs, T., Gottschalk, L., Dandignac, M., & McConnell, A. (2021). Making pledges more powerful: Effects on pro-environmental beliefs and conservation behavior. Sustainability, 13(17), 9894. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179894

 

Kalkbrenner, M., Sink, C., & Smith, J. (2020). Mental health literacy and peer‐to‐peer counseling referrals among community college students. Journal of Counseling & Development, 98(2), 172–182. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12311

 

Kassavou, A., Turner, A., & French, D. (2013). Do interventions to promote walking in groups increase physical activity? A meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-18

 

Kelly, P., Williamson, C., Niven, A., Hunter, R., Mutrie, N., & Richards, J. (2018). Walking on sunshine: Scoping review of the evidence for walking and mental health. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(12), 800–806. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098827

 

Marselle, M., Irvine, K., & Warber, S. (2013). Walking for well-being: Are group walks in certain types of natural environments better for well-being than group walks in urban environments? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(11), 5603–5628. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10115603

 

Myers, J. E., & Sweeney, T. J. (2003). The indivisible self: An evidence–based, emerging model of wellness. In annual conference of the American Counseling Association, Anaheim, CA.

Molly Myers, Alpha Omega Lambda Chapter, Regent University-Virginia Beach

The Rooted in Wellness Initiative applied the Indivisible Self Model to support counseling students during residency through spiritual grounding, creative expression, physical self‑care, and community practices that strengthened holistic wellness.

The Rooted in Wellness Initiative offers a flexible, developmentally attuned framework that can be adapted across counselor training environments and other educational or clinical settings. Because the model integrates emotional, physical, creative, social, and spiritual dimensions of wellness, it is particularly well‑suited for adult learners who are navigating intensive professional formation experiences.

 

Graduate counseling students, including both master’s and doctoral, may benefit from similar initiatives that normalize self‑care, reduce the impact of residency‑related stress, and reinforce wellness as a core component of counselor identity. The initiative’s emphasis on experiential practices, sensory grounding, and community connection aligns naturally with the developmental needs of emerging clinicians who are learning to integrate theory, practice, and personal well‑being.

Although originally designed for adult populations, several components of the initiative can be adapted for children and adolescents in school, community, or clinical settings. Creative expression activities, sensory tools, and grounding practices translate well across developmental stages and can support emotional regulation, engagement, and self‑awareness in younger populations.

 

However, the spiritual integration component, which is central to the Indivisible Self Model and to the Regent University context should be tailored thoughtfully based on setting, cultural considerations, and client or student needs. In secular or public environments, the model’s emphasis on meaning‑making, values, and inner grounding can be preserved without explicit spiritual content.

The initiative is also highly adaptable for use in professional development workshops, wellness retreats, supervision groups, and organizational wellness programming. Its low financial cost, modular design, and emphasis on experiential learning make it feasible for programs seeking to enhance community connection, reduce burnout, and promote holistic well‑being. By offering a structured yet flexible approach, the Rooted in Wellness Initiative provides a replicable model that supports wellness across diverse adult learning environments while remaining adaptable for broader populations when developmentally and contextually appropriate.  

Anchored in the Indivisible Self Wellness Model (Myers & Sweeney, 2004), this initiative integrated emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness strategies as a means of mitigating burnout and supporting the professional identity development of master’s and doctoral counseling students.   

Reference(s):

Myers, J., & Sweeney, T. (2004). The indivisible self: An evidence-based model of wellness. Journal of Individual Psychology, 60, 234-245.