
David Sabgir, MD, is a board-certified cardiologist practicing at Mount Carmel Medical Group in Columbus, Ohio.
Frustrated at his inability to move the needle on his patient's self-care, he had the idea to just invite them to go on a walk with him.
This modest idea eventually blossomed into Walk with a Doc, a movement within the field of lifestyle medicine whose mission is to empower doctors to share the health and happiness benefits of walking with their patients.
From a single walk in Columbus in April 2005, Walk with a Doc has grown to 500 chapters worldwide. In addition to the walk itself, the free events also include education on healthy habits and lifestyle.
When I first heard about the organization, I had a sense that the idea was just so simple, elegant, and compelling, that it had grown pretty much organically.
Once David and I started talking, I was quickly disabused of that notion.
The project almost ended entirely at the end of 2005 when David became overwhelmed with professional and family obligations.
David's fellow cardiologists were skeptical of his low-tech (and low-cost) approach to health.
All in all, the path to its current success has been anything but smooth. But, just like a long-distance walker, David and his team have put one foot in front of another, overcome obstacle after obstacle, and created a mechanism to introduce the joys and benefits of lifestyle medicine with hundreds of thousands of patients and their friends and families.
As David told me, “Exercise is the root of all good.”
And walking is the quintessential form of human movement.
Enjoy this conversation with one of America's leading health heroes.
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