'Walk with a Doc' returns Saturday

FINDLAY — "Walk with a Doc" is returning to Hancock County on Saturday after a several-year absence. In this program, physicians in a community lead free walking groups to encourage physical activity, also giving participants a chance to ask questions. Walk with a Doc began in Columbus in 2005. Cardiologist Dr. David Sabgir had often encouraged his patients to walk in order to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, depression and other illnesses – generally receiving the response, "I'll start soon." Finally, Sabgir instead asked a patient simply, "Would you like to join me for a walk in the park on Saturday?" and received a "yes". He began inviting other patients, and it led to a regular walking group, the Walk with a Doc website states. "As we walked together that day, something powerful happened," Sabgir said in a comment posted on the website. "We were no longer in a sterile exam room. People were smiling. We were neighbors, a community. We were moving, not just physically, but socially and emotionally." There are now Walk with a Doc chapters in every state. International chapters exist as far away as Australia, Hungary, Nigeria and the Philippines. Walk with a Doc became a nonprofit organization in 2009. More than a decade ago, the Findlay City Health Department would host Walk with a Doc events. The city health department merged with the Hancock County Health Department to become Hancock Public Health in 2016. Dr. Bill Kose, vice president of special projects for Blanchard Valley Health System and medical director for Hancock Public Health, said the previous local Walk with a Doc events were well received but their weekday time slot may not have been the best fit for everyone. The new Walk with a Doc program will meet at 9 a.m. on the second Saturday of every month, beginning July 11, at Emory Adams Park in Findlay. Kose said Dr. Navneet Patti, a psychiatrist, had told him how much she sees physical activity help mental health and suggested creating a program like this. The physicians talked to the BVHS medical staff, who decided to bring back Walk with a Doc. The program is organized by the medical staff in partnership with the Findlay Family YMCA, as part of the Be Healthy Now coalition in which organizations throughout the community work to promote healthier habits. Kose said that, while the idea is to promote physical activity, "it also gives them a chance to come out and ask questions." Each week, a physician will talk for a few minutes on a topic like physical activity or the importance of controlling blood pressure or cholesterol. Kose noted that this may offer a less intimidating setting for community members to ask questions of a healthcare provider. Both Kose and Patti plan to be present on Saturday. Along with preventing disease, walking helps improve sleep, Kose said. And socializing with others at an event like these monthly walks also benefits people's health, he said. His hope is that it encourages more people to make regular exercise a habit. "It's the old saying, 'The thousand-mile journey begins with the first step,'" he said.