Leader Pre-requisites To be eligible to be a Walk with Ease leader, you must have CPR certification and it is desirable that you also meet the other qualifications listed below. You will be asked to send documentation of your current CPR certification to your local Arthritis Foundation office. You will also be asked to sign a Statement of Understanding indicating your agreement to meet the program policies and to lead a class within 6 months. PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED WITH REGISTERING FOR THE WEB-BASED TRAINING IF YOU CAN NOT MEET THESE CONDITIONS.

•Current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is required; first aid certification is strongly recommended.

•Affiliation with a facility or organization that can provide space for the classes and insurance coverage for the program is desirable.

•Other desirable abilities include:

  • Empathy toward people with arthritis and related diseases, gained through personal or professional experience.
  • Interest in working with groups of people with arthritis and related diseases.
  • Experience in teaching physical activity classes and skill in group process and instructional techniques.
  • Desire and ability to help others.
  • Strong belief in the value of regular physical activity.
  • Existing Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program instructors are ideal candidates to become Walk With Ease leaders as there are many similarities in the two programs’ health education and exercise components.

•Must sign the Statement of Understanding form.

Registration Fees

The cost of the web-based training workshop is $50 which includes the costs of the training module administration and materials. After successfully completing the training and sending the required documents to the Arthritis Foundation, you will be sent a set of materials including the Walk with Ease participant workbook, Walk with Ease Leader’s Guide, a set of posters and a lightweight backpack. If you have received a scholarship for this training, you must obtain a discount code from your local Arthritis Foundation office and insert this when asked for payment during the registration process.

Technical Requirements

To access this web-based training, you need to have a computer set up that meets the following technical requirements:

  1. Computer with speakers
  2. Internet connection (high bandwidth preferred)
  3. Internet browser:Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 2.0 (or higher)
  4. Pop-ups must be allowed and pop-up blocking turned off.Most people don't know that they have one or more pop-up blockers on their computer, but these blockers will prevent the modules from working properly. To see if you have pop-up blockingin effect, try thisPop-up Blocking Test. See theseinstructions for temporarily disabling pop-up blockers.
  5. Adobe Flash (7.0 or higher) plug-in installed. If you need to install Flash, follow these steps:
  6. Navigate your web browser to
  7. Install the Flash player on your computer
  8. Completely close and then restart your web browser

How to access the online training

Step One: Register Online

  1. Go to the web address you receive from the Arthritis Foundation.
  2. You will see background information about the Walk with Ease program, the registration fees and the leader requirements and will have an opportunity to print out the Statement of Understanding form which you will need to sign and send to the Arthritis Foundation.
  3. After reviewing this information, you will be given a link to Register.
  4. After you click the Register link, you will be asked to complete a workshop registration form and to pay for the training. If you have been given a scholarship, you will insert a code when asked to make the payment.
  5. After registering you will receive a confirmation indicating that you successfully registered for the training and reminding you that to meet all of the leader qualifications, you must send documentation of your CPR certification and the signed Statement of Understanding form to the Arthritis Foundation.

Step Two: Create an Account

  1. After you have completed the registration and payment, you will be directed to another link where you will set up a login account. Creating your own account allows you to do the training at your own pace, and to come and return as you please. Go to this web page when you are ready to log back into the training:

***Before logging off, you must complete a module! You can not exit the training in the middle of a module. If you do, you will need to start the training over.***

  1. On this screen, insert your first and last name, email address and create a password.
  2. Click the Register link at the bottom of the page.

Step Three: Start the Program- the training workshop will take approximately three hours.

The main menu page lists the four modules. You can exit the training workshop after you complete a module. Click on the first module to start the program:

  • Lesson 1: Overview & Program Syllabus
  • Lesson 2: 5-Step Walking Pattern & Program Exercises
  • Lesson 3: Motivational Strategies & Teaching Tips
  • Lesson 4: Managing the Program

If you have trouble starting the program up, click on the Help link. If you log off after completing a module, access this web page to log back in:

Step Four: Complete the Program and Post-Program Follow-Up

  1. After you complete Lesson 4, you will be directed to the post-test. The post-test has two parts: Part 1, a 13- question knowledge test and Part 2, an online training feedback form. In Part 1, you must answer at least 9 questions correctly to pass the test. If you are not successful, you will have the option of going back and reviewing the lessons and retaking the test.
  2. After passing Part 1 and completing Part 2, you will see a screen that directs you to print a copy of your post-test, to send to the Arthritis Foundation and a certificate of completion for your records.
  3. To notify the Arthritis Foundation that you have successfully completed the training, send a copy of your post-test, signed statement of understanding and CPR certification documentation.
  4. Congratulations! You will then receive a set of Walk with Ease materials including the Walk with Ease participant workbook, Leader’s Guide, posters and a backpack and will be all set to lead your first class.