Wellness walking in Greene County parks takes place year-round and varies in difficulty

Wildflowers, a beaver dam, Bigfoot and even Elvis — you never know who or what you’ll see when you’re on the trail with the Wellness Walkers.

“We have fun and laugh and joke around,” said Rick Inman, Greene County Parks & Trail operations manager and Wellness Walkers hike leader. “I’ll do crazy stuff like have hot pretzels in the honeysuckle ... You just never know what to expect.”

That’s just how longtime participant Patti Daggett, of Xenia, likes it.

“One time there were life-size cutouts of Queen Elizabeth and Elvis and a few others in the park,” Daggett said with a smile. “Rick brings a different level of playfulness and energy to the walks. I really look forward to it.”

The weekly walks, which take place year-round, are a partnership between Greene County Parks & Trails, Beavercreek Parks, Fairborn Parks & Recreation and the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association. The one-hour walks on Thursdays from 9:30-10:30 a.m. rotate from park to park and city to city. They are rated from 1-3, indicating the overall difficulty but are all designed for a wide variety of ages and ability levels.

“Even the 3s are fairly beginner friendly,” said Liz Bowen, Greene County Parks & Trails marketing and public relations specialist. “It might just be a rockier path or have more noticeable roots.”

From young parents with their little ones in strollers to seniors in their 70s like Daggett, the Wellness Walkers provide exercise, education, camaraderie and a good bit of laughter. Paces vary and that’s perfectly fine.

“Some of us walk faster than others, but you can really go at your own pace,” Daggett said.

While some want to smell the flowers and soak up the sunshine, others prefer to power through and break a sweat.

“I check on everyone and see how they are feeling that day,” Inman said. “I’ll hang back with the last few and answer questions any of them have along the way. It’s really like hanging out with a bunch of friends.”

The caring atmosphere is something Daggett cherishes.

“One day it was a bit icy, and I decided to turn back, and the group waited for me to get back to my car safely before moving on,” she said. “That’s the kind of caring and camaraderie I have found with this group of people.”

Inman agrees.

“That’s the neatest part of it,” he said. “It’s really like a family.”