Washtenaw Optimal Wellness (WOW) has partnered with Ypsilanti Marketing and Print Company (YMPC) and the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority to bring a new, free walking group to Ypsi residents this summer. Every Saturday, the “Walk With Friends” group completes a two-mile walk through downtown Ypsi and Riverside Park to promote social connection and provide walkers with a variety of health education resources.
“If I sat down and thought about walking two miles, I’m probably just going to think about it and not actually do it,” says Walk With Friends co-founder and YMPC owner Travis Willis. “When you do it with friends, it eases the thought of it because now you get to walk and talk, and you don’t necessarily realize how much all of the walking adds up over time.”
Willis says he had attempted to start a public walking group last year, but ended up “sitting on the idea” until connecting with WOW President Jeff Tritten, who had identified a need for low-impact, low-commitment movement opportunities in the Ypsi community. Both Tritten and Willis wanted to build an initiative that focuses on community as much as health so that walking feels less intimidating to those who don’t frequently exercise…