Lebanon clinic partners with 'Walk with a Doc' to promote healthy living
Family First Health has partnered with "Walk with a Doc" to promote active lifestyles throughout Lebanon, hosting walks each month.
On Saturday, Oct. 15, The health clinic will host a walk inviting both healthcare professionals, patients and members of the community to a quick discussion about health and a 45-minute walk around Union Canal Tunnel Park.
These walks will continue to be hosted on the third Saturday of every month except for next month, which will be held on Nov. 12. All walks will be held at the same location.
For more information on dates and times, visit the Walk with a Doc Lebanon, PA Facebook page.
The walks are free, and participants will receive a free pedometer on their first walk.
The event begins at 10 a.m. and will last about an hour in total.
Anna Deraco, a physician assistant who will head the walks each month, said that the discussion for this month’s walk will focus on the act of walking itself, and its benefits as a "miracle" drug that treats and prevents all kinds of illnesses.
The Walk with a Doc program initially began with a cardiologist's frustration with their patients living too sedentary, and began meeting his patients to walk.
It is now a nonprofit organization based in Ohio that partners with local communities to inspire physical activity and reduce the impact of a sedentary lifestyle.
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"I read about this program years ago and I thought, that's a great idea," Deraco said, "I wanna do that with my patients too.
"So when I moved back to Lebanon a couple of years ago and started working with Family First, I just kept in my head that at some point I want to start one of the chapters."
When she approached Family First Health with the idea a few months ago, they were supportive of the idea.
Each walk will begin with a different discussion regarding healthy living and end with a recap on what was taught.
Citing the large number of Spanish-speaking patients that she sees, Deraco said that the discussions will be offered bilingually.
Anyone, regardless of age, weight or ability is encouraged to come and walk at their own pace. There's no distance requirements to the event. Some people might be able to walk a mile within that time, others might be able to walk three.
"No matter what your walking pace is, no matter what your fitness level is, It really is for everybody, just as long you're getting out there and doing whatever you can wherever you are at the moment physically," Deraco said.
The most effective pace to hold while walking is one where it's still possible to hold a conversation, but with slight discomfort, she said.
The magic number for walking is about 150 minutes per week, or 30 minutes a day during the work week, and can have great health benefits including decreased levels of depression, back pain, diabetes and even constipation.
There's no guess as to how many people might be showing up for this first walk, but most Walk with a Doc chapters have an average of about 20 people, Deraco said.
While it might take a bit of time for the Lebanon chapter to get there, she said that even if one person shows up this Saturday, it will be considered a success.
Daniel Larlham Jr. is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at DLarlham@LDNews.com or on Twitter @djlarlham
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Lebanon clinic opens Walk with a Doc Chapter