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Walk with a Doc

July 26, 2019

From left, Dr. Amy Hardin, Dr. Adele Goodloe and Linnea Goodloe.

As a pediatrician, I get to talk with many families about the importance of one hour of daily heart-thumping, sweat-inducing exercise. Just 60 minutes of exercise can reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, anxiety and depression.

While these sound like adult problems for a pediatrician to be addressing, these serious issues often are evident in early childhood. More than a third of children struggle with weight, which many will carry into adulthood. What can we do to change this unhealthy path? What tools do families need?

Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio, asked these same questions and created the Walk With a Doc program in 2005. The idea is both simple and brilliant – rather than only offering words in an office setting, let’s give patients something tangible: a prescription to walk, with a date, time and place and a commitment from the doctor to be there, as well.

Dr. Amy Hardin and I started the Woodstock chapter of Walk With a Doc in September, 2018. We meet at 4 p.m. the second and fourth Sunday of each month at Patriots Park, 1485 Kellogg Creek Road, Acworth.

We give a 3-minute health-related talk, followed by attendance prizes for kids, and then a walk. The event is open to community members of all ages and capabilities – strollers, wagons, bikes and scooters are welcome. To date, our youngest participant was a 4-month-old with her mother, and our oldest was a 73-year-old grandfather.
We walk a .75 mile loop, and everyone is encouraged to go at their own speed, from racing teenagers to strolling wagon-pullers. Afterward, kids can explore the playground, and teens can play soccer or Frisbee.

While exercising is as simple as going for a walk, having a group to hold you accountable, and other kids encouraging your kids, can make exercising seem more doable. In addition to physical activity, we can build a strong family network through Walk With a Doc. Being a parent is not an easy task. As a mother of three young children, I certainly can attest to that.

I became a pediatrician because I believe that childhood is the stage of life where I can really make a difference. If we teach kids about exercise and healthy habits from the beginning, imagine the impact it can have on the rest of their lives. I hope you will join us at our next Walk With a Doc, but no matter what you do — keep on exercising!

– Dr. Adele Goodloe, a pediatrician at Northside Pediatrics.

Take a Walk!

Aug. 11, Aug. 25, Sept. 15, Sept. 29, Oct. 13, Oct. 27
4 pm. at Patriots Park
Meet near the playground.
https://walkwithadoc.org

Eliza Goodloe riding her bike while Dr. Amy Hardin walks.
Ella and Olivia Irvin swinging at Patriot Park after walking.
Addison Smith sporting a pink car, accompanied by Linnea Goodloe.
Ian Hurst, Eliza Goodloe and Mike Goodloe on their wheels.
Natalie, William and Maggie Lewis (carried by her mom Ashley Lewis) having fun at Walk with a Doc.

 

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