‘Walk with a Doc’ gives East Texans casual setting to talk with doctors

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - “Walk with a Doc” is a national organization that aims to get people talking to doctors in a relaxed, outdoor setting while exercising.

Participants in the Tyler chapter meet at Rose Rudman Park every month to listen to a doctor give a short talk before going on a walk on the trail.

“It encourages people to be healthy by walking, and it brings the community together. It’s socialization for physical and mental health,” said Dr. Marinel Munda, who helped bring the organization back to Tyler after a COVID-19 hiatus. It first came to the area in 2015.

Participants do Tai Chi before the walk and group Zumba after. Before the walk, a doctor gives a short talk on a rotating topic. This month’s focus was parenting, addressed by Kiley Schneider, a clinical psychologist at UT Tyler’s Health Science Center.

“It was a really great experience to get to speak to members of the community and connect and get their feedback and what they know and what they want to learn,” said Schneider. “To pair that information with physical activity and getting out in nature, I think, is an awesome opportunity.”

Schneider said “Walk with a Doc” is also a unique opportunity to talk to a doctor, especially in a region with limited resources.

“We live in a service desert, particularly when it comes to mental and behavioral health services, and I think that’s even more true for the kiddos and families in our community,” said Schneider. “We are getting people more active and more physical as well as getting them crucial information.”

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