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IAWH Health
Coming to Central Virginia
Walk with a Doc
(Central Virginia)
Free community walks led by healthcare providers, combining movement, health education, and real human connection.
×
IAWH Health
Coming to Central Virginia
Free community walks led by healthcare providers, combining movement, health education, and real human connection.
A National Program. A Local Chapter.
Walk with a Doc is a national nonprofit that has been inspiring communities through movement and conversation since 2005. Founded by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio, it has grown to over 700 chapters and millions of participants in communities across the country and around the world.
IAWH Health is developing a Walk with a Doc affiliate chapter in Central Virginia, beginning in Petersburg, the only Walk with a Doc chapter in the Tri-Cities region. Our chapter will bring together community members and local healthcare providers for free guided walks that combine physical activity, practical health education, and the kind of social connection that research consistently links to better health outcomes.
Community partnership development is actively underway. If you are a healthcare provider, community organization, faith community, or local business interested in being part of this launch, we want to hear from you.
Why Walk with a Doc Works
Walk with a Doc chapters offer something more than exercise. Four components work together to make each event a complete prescription for a healthier life.
Regular walking is one of the single most important things we can do for both physical and mental health. It benefits the heart, brain, bones, and lungs, and helps prevent chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers. You do not need to be fast. You just need to move.
Every Walk with a Doc event begins with a brief discussion on a current health topic led by a licensed healthcare provider. Then questions get answered while the group walks together. The result is reliable, practical health information delivered in a relaxed, judgment-free setting.
Research consistently shows that building connections with others improves quality of life, boosts mood, and reduces the risk of depression and isolation. Walk with a Doc events are a way to meet new people, spend time with neighbors, and share a common goal: walking together for better health.
Spending time outdoors has a measurable impact on health and well-being. Research links time in nature to reduced stress, depression, and anxiety, and improved sleep, brain function, and immune response. Walk with a Doc events take place outdoors whenever possible. Consider it a prescription for Vitamin N.
See It in Action
Two perspectives on what Walk with a Doc looks like in practice, from the national program to the community.
Videos courtesy of Walk with a Doc — walkwithadoc.org
Walker Stories
Across the country, Walk with a Doc participants have shared how the program has changed their relationship with movement, health, and community. Here are two of their stories.
There's something very upbeat about being part of a walking team and showing up together whether it's a rainy or sunny morning. I also got to meet new and very compatible people. I think of Walk with a Doc as a wonderful element of a treatment plan that seems to be working.
Vicki Stoddard Walk with a Doc participant, Hilo, Hawaii — Read her full story
Even though I could barely walk without losing my breath, I made a decision right there that I was committing to running a marathon. My situation is no greater than yours. You just have to have a purpose or cause that you're striving for.
Sherman Transou Heart transplant recipient and Walk with a Doc participant, Winston-Salem, NC — Read his full story
Central Virginia Launch
Walk with a Doc (Central Virginia) will be the first and only Walk with a Doc chapter in the Tri-Cities region. IAWH Health is actively developing community partnerships to bring this program to life.
We are building relationships with healthcare providers, faith communities, neighborhood organizations, and local businesses to launch Walk with a Doc (Central Virginia). If you want to be notified when our first walk is scheduled, or if you are a healthcare provider interested in serving as a Walk Leader, write to us now.