What’s happening
The organization’s Community Wellness Walks take place every Saturday at public parks around McKinney and Plano. Each walk covers 4-5 miles, followed by 5-10 minutes of stretching.
The wellness walks are free to join—participants just need to bring water and comfortable shoes. During the winter months, Davis recommends wearing layers and she provides hand warmers for colder walks.
Details for each walk are posted on the HFTM website by Wednesday of each week, including that week’s special theme. Past themes have included Miles in Pink, Funky Socks, and Movin’ and Groovin’, where participants submitted songs for the group to enjoy along the trail.
Who it’s for
When creating the organization, Davis said she aimed to highlight walking as a valid form of exercise where people can get active without feeling pushed to the extreme.
“I realized that there was a gap,” Davis said. “We’re telling people they need to go to the gym, they need to lift weights and work out, but we’re not telling them that there’s an easy way to get into a consistent routine.”
HFTM is designed to be accessible for walkers of all age ranges, athletic abilities and experience levels. Davis often includes short breaks, and she designs her routes with loops so that beginners can leave early.
When a new member started falling behind at a recent walk, Davis modified her pace to walk alongside her and offer support.
“I wanted to assure her that she didn’t have to feel bad or embarrassed about it, because that’s exactly what this group is for,” Davis said.
Davis is looking for volunteers who can accompany walkers of different speeds as the group continues to evolve.
First steps
HFTM wasn’t an immediate success. At her first walk back in June, Davis found herself walking alone.
“The very first one, nobody came,” she recalled. “I was out here by myself.”
Davis says that it was her friends and family who encouraged her to keep going. She met her first participant at her second wellness walk, and the community has been growing ever since.
At HFTM’s largest walk to date, Davis gave out t-shirts to a crowd of twenty people.
“My favorite moment was seeing them put it on and just being excited about being here,” Davis said. “That was when I realized that this is what I’m meant to be doing.”
What else?
Davis recently launched the Miles Up program, where companies and organizations can book private walks for a fee.
In addition to a fitness component, the program draws on Davis’s professional background in exposure therapy. Miles Up walks include stations with activities like vision boards, journaling prompts and collaborative art projects to help people in sedentary jobs incorporate mindful movement, she said.
Davis hopes the Miles Up program will generate revenue that can help support the original Community Wellness Walks as participation increases.
“Our Community Wellness Walks are always going to be on Saturdays, and they’re always going to be free,” Davis said.
What’s in a name
According to Davis, her organization’s name is the answer to a question.
“I used to ask myself, ‘Why are you here?’” Davis said. “Because I think it’s important to know your why.”
As an exposure coach, Davis said she helps kids with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder identify what emotions they’re feeling and where those emotions are coming from. She believes that many adults could also benefit from applying mindfulness strategies in everyday life, and she wanted to integrate that philosophy into her approach to fitness.
“Why are you here?” Davis asked herself. “I’m here for the miles.”
