Here's some not-so-surprising news recently posted on USA TODAY's Better Life blog. According to a study by the Active Living Research Program at San Diego State University, if you live in a neighborhood where you can easily walk to nearby shops, you are likely to be more active and thinner than if you live in a place where you have to drive everywhere! This is true no matter what income level the neighborhood.
Researchers looked at 32 neighborhoods in Seattle and Baltimore, based on income and walkability factors. About 2,200 people, ages 20 to 65, wore accelerometers to track physical activity. Findings indicated that people did 40 to 50 minutes more physical activity per week if they lived in neighborhoods designed for pedestrians. Participants were also less likely to be overweight or obese if they live in places that are walk-friendly.
Meanwhile, the same blog covers an appeal by more than 30 leading fitness and medical groups urging President Obama to promote the importance of physical activity to combat health problems and cost in the U.S. This USA TODAY Better Life blog post notes that even brisk walking can boost weight loss while trimming body fat.
Perhaps the President was doing some research on nearby walk-friendly neighborhoods, if not weight loss, when he and Vice President Biden traveled to Arlington last month for lunch at Ray's Hellburger, smack dab in the middle of the walkable Rosslyn-Courthouse metro corridor. Next time, maybe they'll ditch the limo and walk off their meal afterward!
Lauren Hassel handles outreach and promotions for WALKArlington, part of Arlington County Commuter Services in the Department of Environmental Services.
Note that you still have to make an effort. Walking isn't always enough. I took up bicycling in part for more control over my time and getting places without a car, but also because I know that I don't have the werewithal to join a gym and go regularly. By bicycling (and I am not a hardcore bicyclist but am happy to ride up to 8-10 miles to go to a meeting), my "exercise" is purposive and "just something I do," not something I have to make special time for.
Posted by: Richard Layman | July 03, 2009 at 09:09 AM
Cities designed during the Walking City (1800-1890) and Streetcar or Transit City (1890-1920) eras are "naturally" set up to be pedestrian-centric.
http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Environment/E_Casestudy/E_casestudy3.htm
Posted by: Richard Layman | July 03, 2009 at 09:06 AM