Lakewood Health launches ‘Walk with a Doc’ program

A woman's lower legs and feet are in the photo to illustrate walking in athletic shoes — A woman takes a step forward in athletic shoes.

By Dispatch staff report

May 14, 2022 at 12:00 PM

STAPLES — Lakewood Health System is encouraging area residents to take a step toward better health with its “Walk with a Doc” program.

The new program invites doctors and patients to walk together at 5:15 p.m. Thursdays at Lakewood’s main campus in Staples, starting Thursday, May 26. (All participants should meet outside the main entrance prior to the start of the walk.)

“Walk with a Doc” is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire communities through movement and conversation, according to a news release.

“This program has had tremendous participation and success in hundreds of cities around the world,” stated Dr. Adrianne Moen, a family medicine physician at Lakewood, in the news release.

The program is open to the community. Participation is free and pre-registration is not required, but all participants will need to sign a waiver prior to walking.

“I’m very pleased to bring this exciting and simple program to Lakewood as it has shown such improved health results for countless people around the world,” Moen stated.

Walkers will enjoy a refreshing and rejuvenating walk with several different Lakewood providers who will provide support to participants and answer questions during the walk,organizers stated.

According to the American Heart Association, walking as little as 30 minutes a day can provide the following benefits:

Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Help maintain a healthy body weight and lower the risk of obesity.
Enhance mental well-being.
Reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Lakewood joins a growing list of organizations and communities worldwide starting local “Walk with a Doc” programs. The program was started by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio.
For more information about the Lakewood chapter of the “Walk with a Doc” program, visit bit.ly/3wboQ6t .

By Dispatch staff report

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Lakewood Health launches ‘Walk with a Doc’ program

The free program is intended to pair physicians and the general public for a walk, a physical activity with health benefits. The public can also ask the doctors questions while walking.