Free Walking Group with Tara Mardigan of ‘The Plate Coach’

These days, former Red Sox nutritionist Tara Mardigan, aka The Plate Coach, prefers walking in Brookline over running the bases. That’s why the registered dietitian and November Project devotee started a free walking group in Brookline for people of all fitness levels.

The “Walking Wednesdays” group meets from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Wednesday, which starts and finishes at the Lown Cardiovascular Center in Brookline. The walks are rain or shine.

Mardigan says that she started the group to help people get moving, but also to add some motivation to the mix. What makes the November Project so successful, she says, is the accountability factor. There’s always someone else trying to get you there. “It motivates me when people say I don’t have the time or I’m not fit enough,” Mardigan says. “I want to break down barriers.”

The hardest part of sticking to an exercise regimen is usually the time commitment. But with this group there’s no excuses because it’s only one day a week. Plus, you’ll get to pepper Mardigan—who has almost 20 years of experience and education in the field—with questions about nutrition along the way. “The hard thing is trying to find the time for people,” Mardigan says. “There are a million reasons why people wouldn’t show up.”

Well, here’s another reason to show up: Mardigan is currently co-authoring a cookbook with Drink Maple cofounder and fellow nutritionist Kate Weiler.

Lown Cardiovascular Center, 21 Longwood Avenue, Brookline, 617-732-1318, theplatecoach.com