The BYUI Wellness Center, located in the John W. Hart building, hosts a weekly wellness program titled "Talk and Walk with a Doc" every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The program, which started in September, is an opportunity for students to rejuvenate and take a break from their studies for an hour.
"The object of this is, let's just get out there and do something," said Dr. Andy Bradbury, a service missionary at the counseling center and the school's senior physician. "Get out in the sunshine."
Talk and Walk with a Doc was formed after Dr. Bradbury had a discussion with his son, a family physician in Idaho Falls, and asked if he ever walked with his patients. The thought later formed that Dr. Bradbury should start this campaign.
"I just wish we could get across to more people that they can take charge of things in their own life," Dr. Bradbury said. "[They can make substantial differences in their health with simple changes."
Talk and Walk with a Doc typically has only four to six participants and sometimes will include medical students.
"Having [medical students] here is often good too because we...have people come along who want to go into healthcare careers," Dr. Bradbury said. "It's really good for them to get to question the medical students."
The hope for Talk and Walk with a Doc is that students can take a break and just enjoy being in nature.
"The goal is to just help people get outside and be active," said Grace Langston, Operations Manager at the Wellness Center and a student in her 6th semester studying exercise physiology. "There's no profit or incentive, other than just helping people be happier and healthier and active."
Alisa Garner, the campus dietitian, encourages those who can to come participate and take advantage of the program.
"I think we [all] need those breaks [and] I think those breaks play a role," Garner said. "If we take a break from studying [and then go back], we may retain more because those breaks are important."
More information about the campaign - including date, time, and location - can be found here.
My name is Rachael and I work for the international Walk with a Doc organization.
We’d love to collaborate and help support you through an official Walk with a Doc program. We help by providing marketing support, waivers and liability insurance, merchandise, and networking opportunities with the 600+ other Walk with a Doc programs around the world.
Take a look at our website to learn more: https://walkwithadoc.org/start-a-walk
If you’re interested in starting a chapter, let me know and I can send more details on how to get signed up. I’d also be happy to schedule a quick call if you’d like to discuss further.
Thank you!