{"id":103829,"date":"2025-12-29T17:03:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T17:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/103829\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T17:03:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T17:03:06","slug":"here-for-the-miles-founder-aims-to-make-mindful-movement-accessible-in-mckinney-plano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/103829\/","title":{"rendered":"Here for the Miles founder aims to make mindful movement accessible in McKinney, Plano"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIeisha Davis founded local wellness group Here for the Miles<\/a>, or HFTM, in June to share her love of walking and help others connect with nature. Six months later, she\u2019s built a community of people looking for a low-impact way to get moving, she said.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s happening<\/p>\n

The organization\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

The wellness walks are free to join\u2014participants just need to bring water and comfortable shoes. During the winter months, Davis recommends wearing layers and she provides hand warmers for colder walks.<\/p>\n

Details for each walk are posted on the HFTM website<\/a> by Wednesday of each week, including that week\u2019s special theme. Past themes have included Miles in Pink, Funky Socks, and Movin\u2019 and Groovin\u2019, where participants submitted songs for the group to enjoy along the trail.<\/p>\n

Who it\u2019s for<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized that there was a gap,\u201d Davis said. \u201cWe\u2019re telling people they need to go to the gym, they need to lift weights and work out, but we\u2019re not telling them that there\u2019s an easy way to get into a consistent routine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

When a new member started falling behind at a recent walk, Davis modified her pace to walk alongside her and offer support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to assure her that she didn\u2019t have to feel bad or embarrassed about it, because that\u2019s exactly what this group is for,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n

Davis is looking for volunteers who can accompany walkers of different speeds as the group continues to evolve.<\/p>\n

First steps<\/p>\n

HFTM wasn\u2019t an immediate success. At her first walk back in June, Davis found herself walking alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very first one, nobody came,\u201d she recalled. \u201cI was out here by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s largest walk to date, Davis gave out t-shirts to a crowd of twenty people.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite moment was seeing them put it on and just being excited about being here,\u201d Davis said. \u201cThat was when I realized that this is what I\u2019m meant to be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

What else?<\/p>\n

Davis recently launched the Miles Up program, where companies and organizations can book private walks for a fee.<\/p>\n

In addition to a fitness component, the program draws on Davis\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Davis hopes the Miles Up program will generate revenue that can help support the original Community Wellness Walks as participation increases.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Community Wellness Walks are always going to be on Saturdays, and they\u2019re always going to be free,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s in a name<\/p>\n

According to Davis, her organization\u2019s name is the answer to a question.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to ask myself, \u2018Why are you here?\u2019\u201d Davis said. \u201cBecause I think it\u2019s important to know your why.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an exposure therapy coach, Davis said she helps kids with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder identify what emotions they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you here?\u201d Davis asked herself. \u201cI\u2019m here for the miles.\u201d<\/p>\n

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