In Focus
Walk Like a Physician
Weekly walks pay big dividends to physical health
By: Duane St. Clair

In 2005, a Westerville cardiologist decided to take 30 minutes of each week to lead a free, voluntary, 30-minute walk, accompanied by some doctorly advice.

 

Six years later, Dr. David Sabgir’s program has taken on a life of its own.

It was, as they say, “just what the doctor ordered” for Westerville financial adviser John Volpi. For two years, he has been among the throngs who “Walk with a Doc,” a program that’s underway now in 45 communities nationwide and which will be available in at least 73 next year.

Sabgir was discouraged by the frequency with which his patients would listen to him advocate for the health benefits of walking and active living, promise to follow his advice on the way out of his office, then never follow through.

So he posted a simple sign in his office: “Let’s walk.”

As word spread to potential participants, Sabgir was hoping for an attendance level of 30 to 35 people at Sharon Woods Metro Park. His plan: a quick meet-and-greet, a brief talk – “I can tell when people are getting ants in their pants and it’s time for me to shut up,” he says – and a subsequent half-hour, at-your-own-pace walk. Sabgir hoped the 30 minutes would help attendees reach a goal of 150 minutes of walking per week.

He was nearly overwhelmed when 101 people showed up on that early spring day in April. The unexpected turnout quickly sent Sabgir a message about the importance of what he was offering.

It was as clear as day, he says: “You know what you have. You have to keep it up.”

So for that year, he spent each week meeting a varying number of people for a walk-and-talk, all organized and financed by Sabgir. The cost included healthy snacks, such as fruit and granola bars, and pedometers.

 

Sabgir considered joining forces with a potential food sponsor, but opted not to and dropped the walks in 2006. The upshot was that “We lost the trust of some people who felt ‘You abandoned me,’ ” he says. So he started it back up in 2007 with some financial support from pharmaceutical companies.

 

In the meantime, word spread about the acceptance among participants who were thrilled with the free medical discussions – not to mention the camaraderie that abounds on the walks – and other doctors and physical fitness organizations, among others, sought information about the walks.

Word reached the Cleveland Clinic, and a staff director there organized a walk, which led to others in that area. The reputation of the walks continued to circulate by way of medical associations, physicians, health agencies and individual participants. Sabgir continued providing information and organizational help through his office and at his expense.

In 2009, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield gave Sabgir a grant that allowed him to open a headquarters and hire an executive director, Kathryn Stephens – an Otterbein College graduate, Westerville resident and mother of two young sons. The office is a building near Mt. Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital. Sabgir, a hospital staff member, has his office in the adjacent building.

Thanks to the annual Anthem grants and other support, the office provides a “tool kit” to those who want to start a walk program. It contains information, posters, guidelines to be followed, pedometers and even prescription pads with pre-printed invitations to walk, which physicians can hand out to patients. Sabgir still pays for the website.

Sabgir, a 41-year-old father of two, works out daily – swimming, biking or running. He’s quick to point out that simply walking regularly can help prevent strokes, heart attacks, diabetes and various forms of cancer, as well as reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, to name just a few benefits.

While obesity is the most common problem walkers have, Sabgir says, “Ninety-five percent of the people we see are under 150 minutes a week” being active. Recently, Sabgir attended an American Heart Association scientific conference in Orlando, Fla., where he heard numerous reports about research into genetics and related physiological traits, seeking clues for cures for all sorts of diseases.

He wasn’t especially impressed.

“We have a miracle drug (walking, exercise) right in front of us,” Sabgir says. “Let’s do this instead of spending a bazillion bucks” on endless research for cures.

In the Westerville area, Sabgir weekly meets a group that ranges in size from 10 to 200 people, depending on the weather, in Highbanks Metro Park. During the winter, that group, one from the Westerville Community Recreation Center and two others in northern Franklin County meet each Saturday at the Polaris Fashion Place mall before it opens.

Other groups meet in Tuttle and Eastland malls, Stephens says, while a Grove City group walks outdoors year round. Sabgir goes to about 42 walks a year.

For indoor sessions, doctors from the other groups rotate as leaders. Sabgir attends no matter who’s leading, though. Stephens, also physically active, visits various groups to become acquainted and join the walks.

Walkers go at their own speed. Some can walk “only five minutes.” Participants are urged to walk as fast as they can and still carry on a conversation, so speeds vary and are not set in stone. Nor is distance. It’s time that matters, Sabgir says.

Volpi serves as a prime example of the effect the program can have on people who are inactive, ailing or overweight.

“I was in poor health, I am overweight. I have heart disease and diabetes,” says Volpi, 65. “Since I started the program (two years ago), I have lost 40 pounds and have, by doctors’ orders, stopped taking two medications.”

Volpi sometimes walks a while before Saturday sessions, and usually afterward as well. As a result, “endurance and vitals have improved,” Volpi says. In addition, he tries to take 10,000 steps during the week. Walk with a Doc has made a huge difference in his outlook, he says.

“I have found doctors who believe in working with people at no cost to help them stay and get better,” says Volpi.

Vogel’s not short on praise for Sabgir, either. “He provides education, inspiration to help people,” Volpi says. “He’s very encouraging. It’s a tremendous program.”

Not everyone who participates starts in less-than-optimal health. Anne VanBuskirk of Westerville has joined most weekly outings, but she walked regularly before they started.

“I am a distance walker, having completed four marathons and about 18 half-marathons,” VanBuskirk says. “I really enjoy the social aspect of the walks and the opportunity for people to get medical information to which they might not otherwise be exposed. The message is terrific – to help people be more proactive about their health in a non-threatening, non-judgmental environment.”

For more information on the program, visit www.walkwithadoc.org.

Duane St. Clair is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.


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