Source: American College of Sports Medicine
Organizations join forces to promote walking, improve health
INDIANAPOLIS—The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) announced a new partnership with the Walk with a Doc program today, forged to promote walking for better health. Walk with a Docencourages healthy physical activity in people of all ages, because it can reverse the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle and improve the health and well-being of Americans.
ACSM is an international leader in promoting the benefits of exercise. “Walking is a safe, easy and effective way for all people to become healthier through physical activity,” said Jim Whitehead, ACSM’s EVP/CEO. “ACSM brings the expertise of 50,000 clinicians, researchers, educators and exercise professionals to this collaboration to team up with Walk with a Doc’s efforts to promote physical activity through walking.”
With close to 250 communities and thousands of doctors across the United States, Walk with a Doc sees the partnership with ACSM as a way to expand its impact as scores of additional communities stand to benefit from the collaboration. “With a doctor’s approval, walking is low impact and safe for people with orthopedic ailments, heart conditions and those who are more than 20 percent overweight,” said David Sabgir, MD, founder of Walk with a Doc. “Working with ACSM can help us meet our goals to help Americans become more active and meet national guidelines for physical activity.”
Walk with a Doc is following ACSM’s lead to answer the Surgeon General’s Call to Action on Walkingand Walkable Communities, released in September 2015. The call to action recognizes the importance of physical activity for people of all ages and abilities and encourages Americans to be more physically active through walking and asks leaders to better support walking and walkability in their communities.
Walk with a Doc will also be supporting ACSM’s signature program, Exercise is Medicine®, by promoting the EIM health care provider’s pledge to encourage patients to participate in regular physical activity to support their health.
