On the second Saturday of each month, Matt Bayazitoglu, MD, trades his white coat for a different accessory: a pair of walking shoes.
Rather than stepping into the rehab doctor’s office, his Walk with a Doc (WWAD) participants embark on a 2-mile stroll not just for their health, but to build community.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m a physician when I’m walking,” said Dr. Bayazitoglu, who has led walks in Corpus Christi on behalf of Nueces County Medical Society for two years. “I don’t see it as a medical checkbox. It’s more of just a healthy activity, and people just subconsciously enjoy being part of the group.”
While the nonprofit Walk with a Doc promotes physical activity and educating participants on medical topics, the group equally prioritizes social connectedness and enjoying nature, making up a great formula for improved health, Dr. Bayazitoglu says. Worldwide, more than 71% of WWAD participants report getting more exercise since joining the program, and 93% feel more inspired to lead a healthier lifestyle, according to Walk with a Doc (tma.tips/WWADMetrics).
Walk with a Doc was founded in 2005 by Ohio cardiologist David Sabgir, MD. Texas joined the movement with two chapters in 2012, but now leads the U.S. in the number of chapters, at 62. TMA covers the $2,100 walk start-up and renewal costs, which include merchandise and liability coverage for members’ walk chapters. While some chapters, like Dr. Bayazitoglu’s group, meet once a month, others may meet more frequently, and location and length of walk can vary.
TMA has a continued goal of steadily growing the program, especially in counties with high rates of medical disparities and chronic disease. This year, TMA hopes to hit 75 active chapters in Texas, including both existing and new groups. Walk with a Doc also encourages medical students and residents to lead their own chapters through the Walk with a Future Doc program.
Dr. Bayazitoglu says stepping up doesn’t have to be difficult.
“It’s an almost minimal requirement, about an hour a month on a Saturday. It’s something we all should be doing,” he said, encouraging curious physicians to bring their families, too. His local TMA Alliance chapter has supported Walk with a Doc, and it’s even open to his newest family member. “It’s actually part of my daily walking the dog.”
For new walk leader Gwendolyn Lavalais, MD, Walk with a Doc is an accessible opportunity to give back, an instinct she says many physicians share. The medical director at Gift of Life, a cancer prevention nonprofit in Beaumont, hosted her first walk in June with 67 attendees.
“Ever since I’ve been in the medical community, since 2005, I have volunteered, and I see a lot of physicians doing the same thing,” she said. “It’s such a satisfying and fulfilling thing to know that you can give someone information and be walking and creating a relationship.”
Within his group, Dr. Bayazitoglu says individual participants approach the walking regimen differently to meet their needs. One frequent attendee, a double amputee, may roll in her motorized wheelchair for only parts of the course; another, a local resident who, since joining the chapter, has lost over 160 pounds, went from taking truncated walks to making the entire loop with ease. All enjoy the fresh air and scenic views, and sharing space with other exercise groups opens a path for participants to find other activities they enjoy.
“Showing up – you’ve won, at that point,” Dr. Bayazitoglu said. Even though he already exercises frequently himself, he’s also found physical benefits to leading walks. “I did a lot of other activities, but walking was not one of them. It’s a decent workout, and it has separate health benefits compared to other exercise.”
Physician and patient perks
In addition to contributing to a healthy weight, walking lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, falls, and several types of cancer; regulates blood pressure and cholesterol; can ease arthritis pain and stiffness; reduces stress and anxiety; improves cognition and creativity; and reduces the chance of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to Walk with a Doc (tma.tips/WWADBenefits).
Those aren’t just benefits for patients, says Dr. Lavalais.
“We need the same kind of things [patients] do; we have the same causes of death as our patients,” she said. “A lot of people recognize the benefits of getting out and walking. I don’t think you have a better chance of getting people to do what they need to do than to show you’re willing to do it.”
Dr. Lavalais was encouraged to lead her local walk chapter by TMA Past President Mark Kubala, MD, and current president G. Ray Callas, MD, both fellow Beaumont physicians. She says the support from the association has been crucial.
“It’s an impressive feature for TMA to encourage physicians to be community-oriented and to be willing to be a sponsor for your efforts to do something in the community,” she said.
And just like it has universal physical health benefits, the community bonds fostered through Walk with a Doc ripple to other positive changes, leaders say. For example, a regularly scheduled walk with neighbors is a boon for mental health, according to Dr. Bayazitoglu.
“Walking has other benefits than just the actual physical walk itself,” he said. “It’s also part of getting involved in the community, just being outside, and having something to look forward to.”
Each walk starts with a short discussion of a health topic, usually lasting less than five minutes, and during the walk, participants are welcome to discuss medical questions with the leading physician. For Dr. Lavalais, this is a great opportunity to impart the importance of preventive health screenings, though Dr. Bayazitoglu says many of his walking companions are simply happy to catch up on the month’s events, conversations he equally enjoys, and which may help health outcomes in a different way.
“It’s a very nice way to engage with your patients in a setting that is informal. It’s much more relaxed in a social setting,” he said. “The conversations are very enjoyable. Patients like that, too. They like to hear about how your family’s doing. Your relationships with your patients are much better if you can interact with them more than just in the patient-physician relationship. If they feel like you’re part of their same community, they’ll trust you more.”
Especially post-COVID-19, Dr. Lavalais also values the rapport that a simple walk can build between patients and physicians.
“After the pandemic, there’s good evidence that there is a lot of distrust in the medical community,” she said. “But at the same time, a lot of people saw that the medical community were human, too. That common humanity does foster trust.
“I really did want to do something that you could do with a patient instead of doing things to them or for them. I certainly feel differently toward someone who’s willing to do something with me. I have three kids, so what I know is that nobody likes to do hard things alone. [Leading a walk] shows the patient that [a physician is] willing to go a step further to do things for the community and not expect to bill for it.”
If starting a new chapter is daunting, Dr. Lavalais says supporting an existing walk group can be beneficial. She’s currently recruiting resident physicians so the chapter can offer more walk times.
And for physicians new to practice or new to their area, or specialists who may not get to see their patients as consistently as, for example, a primary care physician, Walk with a Doc provides a chance to connect with and build a patient base, Dr. Bayazitoglu says.
“I don’t have a clinic, so I tell patients, ‘If you want to come say hi or chat or see how I’m doing, this is where I’ll be,’” he said. Pairing that with a reliable, regular schedule keeps him accessible to his patients. “I believe in consistency. People will know, OK, there’s Walk with a Doc, and they’re here every month on this particular Saturday, and they usually walk along there. So, if people have missed it or they’re late, they can join in.”
TMA’s Walk with a Doc Texas is funded in 2024 by TMA Foundation with generous support from TMA Insurance Trust, and gifts from other institutions, physicians and their families.