A conversation with the founders of Walk with a Doc and Semilla Cultural – The Health Disparities Podcast

Movement is important for a person’s health and well-being. The good news is: many activities that promote movement come with enormous benefits that extend beyond physical health.

Today’s discussion features the founders of two organizations that aim to promote physical activity — and build community while doing it.

Walk with a Doc began in 2005 after Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio, invited his patients to go for a walk with him in a local park. The program has since spread to more than 500 locations.

Semilla Cultural, founded by Isha M. Renta López, is a non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C., area that promotes the development and cultivation of a community that embraces Puerto Rican culture and arts, including by teaching and performing the Puerto Rican musical genre of Bomba.

Sabgir and López spoke with Health Disparities podcast hosts Dr. Hadiya Green and Christin Zollicoffer. This conversation was recorded in person at the 2023 Movement Is Life annual Health Equity Summit.