A Narrative from Pakistan’s First “Walk with a Doc” Initiative – By Dr. Munira Abbasi, MD
It Began with a Walk
Not in a clinic. Not in a conference room. But under the open sky—with our shoes on, hearts open, and a community beside us.
I never imagined that one small idea would grow into a shared experience of healing, connection, and joy—a walk that would become an anchor in my Lifestyle Medicine practice and a highlight for participants ranging from age five to seventy-five.
Let me tell you how it all began.
A Story from Across the Sea
In 2023, while organizing Pakistan’s 4th International Conference on Lifestyle Medicine under the joint collaboration of the Pakistan Association of Lifestyle Medicine (PALM) and the Riphah Institute of Lifestyle Medicine (RILM), I received a message from Dr. Mariam Malik, a Lifestyle Medicine physician based in the UK. With roots in Pakistan and a heart full of purpose, she shared with me the story of Walk with a Doc—a community initiative she had adopted in her practice in England.
Its concept was simple and beautiful: a physician invites people to walk together once a month in a park, beginning with a short health talk and followed by open-hearted movement and conversation. No clinic forms. No prescriptions. No waiting room. Just people, walking side by side in fresh air and presence.
She believed this initiative belonged in Pakistan, and she wanted to help make it happen. So, she did something remarkable: she flew to Islamabad as both a speaker at the conference and a catalyst for change.
We held the very first Walk with a Doc – Pakistan during the conference. There was no formal invitation, no media coverage—just a small group of doctors, students, and citizens walking shoulder to shoulder in a public park.
None of us knew then that we had just taken the first step into something far greater than ourselves.
A Legacy of Walking: From Ohio to Islamabad
Walk with a Doc began in 2005, when Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio, invited his patients to join him for a walk in a local park. Over 100 people showed up. That simple gesture—stepping outside the clinic and into the community—sparked a global movement, now active in hundreds of cities worldwide.
The initiative is grounded in the idea that health is not built in isolation, and that movement and connection are both forms of medicine. Its beauty lies in its simplicity: anyone can join. There are no fees, no barriers, and no requirements—just an open invitation to walk, talk, and heal together.
Dr. Sabgir planted the seed. Dr. Malik carried it across continents. And during ICLM 2023, we brought it home to Pakistan.
Two Years, Dozens of Walks, One Growing Community
Since that first step, we’ve walked every single month. Sometimes in the scorching sun. Sometimes wrapped in shawls against the winter breeze, sharing oranges and smiles. We’ve walked in small groups and large ones. What began as a pilot became a beloved monthly tradition, open to all.
Each gathering starts with a brief, accessible health talk—on self-care, food as medicine, stress management, reversing diabetes, improving sleep, or nourishing relationships. Then we walk. No agenda, no rush—just togetherness.
And in that simplicity, something beautiful unfolds. Grandparents walk alongside children. Teenagers connect with retired professors. Patients ask questions they were too hesitant to ask in a clinic. Physicians listen—not as experts, but as companions. There is no hierarchy. Only humanity.
Familiar faces bring familiar joy. The devoted mother whose tweens and teens look forward to the walk and set reminders themselves. The elderly gentleman, once battling chronic health issues, who now outpaces many of us. The healthcare professionals who joined once and never stopped coming.
Each gathering becomes more than a walk. People share their lives, their laughter, their poetry and music—openly, joyfully, without hesitation. It’s a space where everyone feels seen, heard, and safe to be themselves.
Healing the Healers
What I didn’t anticipate was how much Walk with a Doc would begin to nourish the physicians themselves.
As health professionals, we carry so much—responsibility, emotional labor, constant decision-making. Burnout is real. And yet, during these walks, something shifts. We breathe differently. We speak more gently. We feel less alone.
For many of us in Lifestyle Medicine, these walks became more than community outreach. They became a form of self-care—a monthly moment to reconnect with ourselves, our purpose, and one another.
In an era where physician mental health is in crisis, this walk offers a soft place to land. No performance. Just presence.
Medicine in Motion
Each walk organically brings the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine to life:
- Physical activity becomes enjoyable and effortless
- Stress reduction arises naturally through movement and social connection
- Social connection is rebuilt through shared purpose
- Nutrition is discussed informally—recipes, struggles, and tips
- Sleep improves as walking becomes a calming ritual
- Avoidance of harmful substances is gently reinforced through shared modeling and dialogue
In these parks, medicine is not something we do to people. It is something we do with them.
A Low-Resource, High-Impact Model for Public Health
In Pakistan, as in many low- and middle-income countries, we face tremendous health challenges—rising rates of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and mental health concerns. Our health systems are overstretched and under-resourced.
But this initiative has taught me that connection is a resource. Movement is medicine. Community is care.
All we need is a public space and willing hearts. The return on investment—in joy, behavior change, and wellbeing—is immeasurable.
It’s scalable. It’s culturally resonant. And most importantly—it’s sustainable, because it’s powered by shared purpose and belonging.
Small Steps, Big Impact
There are stories I carry with me—stories that don’t fit into journals or lab reports but keep me going:
- A couple who come each month to connect and offer help to others.
- A middle-aged woman, once isolated and struggling with her mental health, who now walks in step with a caring community.
- A busy professional, also a caregiver to a chronically ill loved one, who cherishes this walk as her monthly act of self-care.
And then, there is my own story.
Once a full-time physician on the edge of burnout, I was driven, depleted, and disconnected—from myself and from what truly heals. These walks, and the community that surrounds them, have gently transformed me—not just into a better professional, but into a more present, compassionate, and healing human being.
These are not outcomes you measure in milligrams or lab values—but they are the ones that matter most.
The Road Ahead
Looking back, I see that we’ve done more than organize walks. We’ve cultivated a culture—a culture where prevention feels personal, where care is collective, and where movement is not a chore but a celebration.
What began as a single walk in Islamabad has now grown into a movement. A second chapter has been launched in Lahore, led by Dr. Ashraf—a passionate and dedicated Lifestyle Medicine physician. Walk with a Doc now runs regularly in both Islamabad and Lahore, marking the beginning of a broader community health movement in Pakistan.
Looking forward, we hope to expand this initiative into more cities, involve schools and universities, and bring Walk with a Doc to communities where formal healthcare is limited, but community spirit is rich.
And so, we walk on—with gratitude for the footsteps behind us and hope for those still to come.
With Gratitude
To Dr. David Sabgir, who dreamed of walking with his patients and ended up walking the world.
To Dr. Mariam Malik, who believed in bringing this to Pakistan and crossed continents to do so.
To Dr. Shagufta Feroz, whose visionary leadership introduced Lifestyle Medicine to Pakistan and whose mentorship continues to light the way.
To every colleague, patient, and community member who has shown up—with your shoes, your stories, and your hearts—this journey belongs to all of you.
Final Thoughts: A Different Kind of Prescription
In medical school, we are trained to diagnose, to treat, to intervene. But through Walk with a Doc, I’ve learned something just as powerful:
Sometimes, the most transformative prescription is presence.
Not behind a desk.
Not holding a chart.
But walking—side by side, step by step—toward a healthier future.
Abstract
This narrative explores the birth and growth of Pakistan’s first Walk with a Doc initiative, launched during the International Conference on Lifestyle Medicine. Inspired by global physician leadership and grounded in the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine, the initiative has evolved into a monthly community gathering, where people of all ages walk, connect, and heal together. Spanning two years of consistent engagement, the program has contributed to both public and professional wellbeing—creating belonging, spreading awareness, and rejuvenating healthcare providers. It offers a replicable model for culturally adaptive, low-resource, high-impact health promotion.
Learn how you can start or join a local Walk with a Doc program at walkwithadoc.org.