Walking with a doc in Clarkston
Nearly 20 people spent a Sunday afternoon in Clarkston walking for 40 minutes along the PATH trail with Dr. Heval Kelli of Emory Healthcare as part of the national
“Walk with a Doc” movement. “Walk with a Doc” was started in 2005 by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio. According to the organization’s website, Sabgir invited his patients to walk with him in a local park because he was frustrated with his inability to affect behavior change in the clinical setting. More than 100 people showed up.
Kelli, a cardiology fellow, said he talked about organizing a Walk with a Doc event with Sabgir, who supported his mission.
“I didn’t know how to do this—to try a unique walk with the refugees and a way we could walk together,” Kelli said.
Kelli said he was talking with Roberta Malavenda, executive director of CDF: A Collective Action Initiative, when Malavenda mentioned her yoga class needed outside activity.
“I said, ‘Perfect. How about I bring Walk with a Doc and you set up the whole thing with the community?’” Kelli said. “We decided to do it on a Sunday, at least once a month.
The purpose is to make people think about exercise, and what a better way to talk to a doctor outside of the [doctor’s office]? It’s very lowkey. It’s all about risk prevention and preventing heart disease; preventing people from having hypertension, diabetes and heart disease through exercise.”
CDF’s mission is to connect and engage the residents of Clarkston by helping them recognize and develop their assets and assist them in creating activities and services that benefit the community. Malavenda said many of the moms she works with have told her that they want to improve their health.
“I think walking is something that everybody can enjoy,” Malavenda said. “Research has shown that just walking 30 minutes a day really does improve heart health. It’s certain to encourage families with no children, older people, people like us and people in wheelchairs to come out and walk and get to know each other.
“It’s a way for us to get to know neighbors and people who are refugees and people who aren’t refugees,” Malavenda said. “It’s a way to bring various cultures together.”
