A handful of people shared a recent early-evening stroll around the Hempfield campus of the J. Roy Houston Conservation Center.
During their 15-minute perambulation along trails and among plantings overseen by Penn State master gardeners, the group took the first steps toward a potential Westmoreland County chapter of the Walk with a Doc program.
The concept started in 2005 in Columbus, Ohio, when cardiologist Dr. David Sabgir encouraged his patients to be active by inviting them to join him on a walk in a local park. More than 100 people showed up. The program has since grown to include participants in 47 states and 38 countries.
Marie Fioravanti, who holds a doctor of nursing practice degree and is director of nursing at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, led Westmoreland’s trial run of Walk with a Doc on Oct. 13 at the start of Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County’s 20th anniversary celebration.
She said the program’s mission includes educating people about the benefits of walking and empowering them to get involved.
The program lists at least 100 reasons for walking, and Fioravanti mentioned just a few. “A walk a day will help with your stress, and it will help with your heart rate,” she said. “It will also help with increasing your activity, and it will keep you young.”
As part of Walk with a Doc, participating groups are asked to complete an organized walk at their own pace at least once per month, Fioravanti said.
“You can do as much as you can do,” she said. “It could be walking in your neighborhood or going to the dog park.”
Walk with a Doc sessions usually begin with a brief presentation on a health topic and may include optional blood pressure checks.
During the local trial walk, Fioravanti led participants along a portion of the Westmoreland Conservation District Stormwater Trail. The trail incorporates various strategies for managing stormwater, including permeable sidewalk pavement that allows rain to seep into the ground.
Visit walkwithadoc.org for more information about the walking program.