For Dr. Melissa Sundermann, medicine doesn’t end when patients leave the exam room.
Sometimes, she believes, healing begins on a walking trail.
This fall, Sundermann is helping launch Ann Arbor’s first Walk with a Doc chapter, a free community program that brings physicians and residents together for leisurely walks in local parks. Participants can hear a brief health talk, ask questions in an informal setting, and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of spending time outdoors—all at their own pace.
The inaugural walk will take place Saturday, Sept. 19, at Bandemer Park.
The idea has been years in the making for Sundermann, a double board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, Medical Director of Lifestyle Medicine for Corewell Health, and founding chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s Nature as Medicine Committee.
“Walk with a Doc brings together everything I have dedicated my career to: evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine, the healing power of nature, meaningful human connection, and making healthcare more accessible,” Sundermann said. “For years I have believed that some of the most powerful medicine happens outside the walls of a clinic.”
Inspired in Washington, launched in Ann Arbor
The inspiration came during a conversation with Dr. David Sabgir, founder of Walk with a Doc, at the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Executive Leadership Forum on Health and Outdoor Recreation in Washington, D.C.
“As we talked about Lifestyle Medicine, social prescribing, and the health benefits of spending time outdoors, I realized that Walk with a Doc was exactly the type of program our community needed,” Sundermann said. “It was simple, evidence-based, welcoming, and incredibly scalable.”
She returned home convinced Ann Arbor was the ideal place to launch a chapter.
“I knew Ann Arbor, with its incredible parks, active community, and strong healthcare presence, was the perfect place to build something that could bring people together while improving health, one walk at a time.”
The program reflects Sundermann’s work as “Doctor Outdoors™,” a mission centered on reconnecting people with nature as a pathway to better health. Research increasingly supports what she has witnessed throughout her career: regular movement, time spent outdoors, and strong social relationships can improve physical and mental well-being while reducing the risk of chronic disease.
Healthcare beyond the clinic
Unlike a traditional office visit, Walk with a Doc removes many of the barriers between physicians and patients.
“Healthcare has traditionally been reactive,” Sundermann said. “We wait until someone develops disease and then treat it. Lifestyle Medicine challenges us to think differently by helping people build health before illness develops or helping them manage chronic disease through daily habits.”
She says the setting itself changes the conversation.
“A walking trail creates a completely different kind of healthcare experience. The white coat disappears. Conversations become more relaxed. People ask questions they might never ask during a rushed office visit.”
The combination of physical activity, nature, and conversation is more than pleasant—it is evidence-based.
“Science tells us that movement improves cardiovascular health, nature reduces stress, and social connection improves both mental and physical health,” Sundermann said. “When you combine all three, you create an incredibly powerful prescription that doesn’t require a pharmacy.”
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Connection is medicine
While exercise often receives the spotlight, Sundermann believes another ingredient may be even more important.
“I would say social connection,” she said. “Exercise receives most of the attention, but human connection is one of the strongest predictors of health and longevity.”
Walking together naturally encourages conversation and relationships.
“Friendships develop. People begin encouraging one another. Accountability grows. Community forms,” she said. “Connection is medicine, and I believe it may be one of the most powerful therapies we have.”
That sense of belonging is central to her vision for the Ann Arbor chapter.
“One of my greatest hopes is that people come for the walk but stay because they find their community,” Sundermann said. “Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and connected.”
She hopes participants will eventually exchange phone numbers, meet outside scheduled walks, and support one another through life’s challenges.
“Health is not just about adding years to life,” she said. “It’s about adding life to those years, and meaningful relationships are a huge part of that equation.”
An invitation for everyone
The walks are intentionally designed for all ages, abilities and fitness levels.
“First, I remind people that this is not a race,” Sundermann said. “No one is keeping score. No one cares how fast you walk or how far you go. We simply want people to show up exactly as they are.”
She encourages anyone who feels intimidated to take the first step.
“You don’t have to be fit to start. You simply have to start,” she said. “You don’t need fancy equipment, expensive memberships, or prior experience. Just wear comfortable shoes and bring yourself.”
The location was chosen with intention. Bandemer Park’s riverside trails and natural setting provide an ideal backdrop for slowing down and reconnecting.
“I hope participants notice more than just their step count,” Sundermann said. “I hope they notice birdsong, the movement of the river, changing seasons, conversations with new friends, and perhaps even something within themselves that has been waiting to reconnect.”
“Sometimes nature reminds us who we are.”
Building a healthier community
Although attendance matters, Sundermann says success will ultimately be measured in lives changed rather than numbers counted.
“Success won’t simply be measured by how many people attend,” she said. “Success will be hearing someone say they no longer need blood pressure medication because they became active. It will be meeting someone who found lifelong friends after moving to Ann Arbor. It will be seeing participants become volunteers who welcome new walkers.”
Her long-term vision extends beyond organized walks.
“Ultimately, I hope Walk with a Doc becomes woven into the fabric of our community, where walking together becomes a normal part of how we care for one another.”
For Sundermann, the program offers something increasingly rare: hope grounded in simple, everyday actions.
“At its heart, Walk with a Doc isn’t really about walking,” she said. “It’s about hope.”
Join the inaugural walk
The first Ann Arbor Walk with a Doc will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Bandemer Park, 2001 Whitmore Lake Road.
The event is free and open to everyone, regardless of age or fitness level. Participants can walk at their own pace, hear a brief health talk, meet others in the community, and experience firsthand how movement, nature, and connection can support healthier lives.
As Sundermann puts it, “Whether you walk one mile or one block, your health journey begins with a single step. I hope you’ll take that step with us on September 19.”
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
