Americans lag behind in walking

Thousands of steps behind

Jon Boyd, Oct 13, 10.

The average American walks only 5,117 steps per day, thousands of steps fewer than residents of western Australia, Switzerland, and Japan, says a Reuters story (via MSNBC):

Adults in western Australia average 9,695 steps a day. The Swiss followed with 9,650, while the Japanese clocked in with 7,168 steps. But Americans straggled far behind with just 5,117 steps.

“We were surprised that the levels of physical activity were that low,” said Dr. David R. Bassett, of the University of Tennessee, the lead author of the study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

“Five thousand steps is really pretty inactive,” he added.

Bassett said Americans need to step up for another 30 to 40 minutes per day to shrink the fitness gap. One mile equals about 2000 steps.

The researchers used pedometers to gather step data from 1,136 American adults, who varied in age, gender and geographic location, and compared the results to similar studies in the other countries.

Bassett thinks America’s car culture and lack of adequate public transportation provide fertile ground for couch potatoes.

“People do have to exercise,” he said. “But our overall environment does not lend itself to promoting an active lifestyle.”

He attributes the more active lifestyle of adults in other countries to their greater access to mass transit.

“In Switzerland you might get enough activity just in the course of doing your errands,” he explained.

A fitness expert says regular walking can keep people healthy, as reported by Reuters (via MSNBC):

Julia Valentour, who developed the walking program for the American Council on Exercise, said fit people usually take about 10,000 steps per day. But she wants everyone to do more.

“It’s low risk, easy to do, and does so much to increase health, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, increase energy and reduce the risk of developing diabetes and cancer,” she said.

The Centers for Disease Control guidelines call for 150 minutes per week of a moderate-to-intensive exercise, like walking.

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Another good idea is to track progress with a pedometer. She cited a study by VU University Amsterdam Medical Center in the Netherlands that found that people who lived within a kilometer (0.62 miles) of a park or green area were healthier.

“In our culture, the way we’re set up as far as city planning, you can’t always walk,” said Valentour. “Housing areas are just not near business areas in a lot of places.”

(Photo credit: Yola Simon)