AARP Mississippi Launches Walk with a Doc in Jackson

(Jackson, MS)  –– AARP Mississippi is encouraging Jackson residents to take a step toward better health with Walk with a Doc, a health program that brings doctors and patients together. The kick-off walk is at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 13 at Parham Bridges Park, located at 5055 Old Canton Road in Jackson. Walk With A Doc will continue at the same time on the second Saturday of each month at Parham Bridges Park, which is the site of the AARP FitLot Park equipment installation.

Walk with a Doc is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire communities through movement and conversation.

“This program has had tremendous participation and success in hundreds of cities around the world,” said AARP Mississippi State Director Kimberly L. Campbell, Esq. “I’m very pleased to bring this exciting and simple program to Jackson as it has shown such improved health results for countless people around the world.”

The walk is open to the community. Participation is free and pre-registration is required. Member physicians of the Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association and the Mississippi State Medical Association will walk with the participants. The kick-off walk will be led by Dr. Selika Sweet of Merit Health Medical Group in Clinton and Dr. Justin Turner of TurnerCare in Jackson. Dr. Jaleen Sims of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson and Dr. Timothy Quinn of Quinn Healthcare in Ridgeland, both members of MSMA and MMSA, will lead future walks.

“Walk with a Doc is honored to team up with AARP Mississippi. By incorporating this program, AARP Mississippi is demonstrating an exceptional level of care and commitment to the community,” said Dr. David Sabgir, founder of Walk with a Doc.

“There’s no question that increasing exercise, even moderately, reduces the risks of many diseases, including coronary heart disease, breast and colon cancer and Type 2 diabetes,” said Timothy Quinn, M.D, one of the local physicians who will lead the walks. “Research has even shown that you could gain two hours of life for each hour that you exercise regularly.”

The next walk is Saturday, September 10 at 8:30 a.m. at Parham Bridges Park. You can register to participate by clicking here.

According to the American Heart Association, walking as little as 30 minutes a day can provide the following benefits:

• Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels
• Help maintain a healthy body weight and lower the risk of obesity
• Enhance mental well-being
• Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
  

Jackson joins a growing list of communities worldwide that have started local Walk with a Doc (WWAD) programs. WWAD was started by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, OH.  He has walked with patients and community members nearly every weekend since 2005.