Walking is the closest thing to perfect exercise, the most sustainable and sociable mode of transport and can even help deliver economic prosperity.
Health
"Walking is the nearest activity to perfect exercise" (Morris and Hardman 1997),
The Chief Medical Officer recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, which could include walking, on five days a week for adults, and at least 60 minutes every day for children. Only around a third of adults and two thirds of children in Britain achieve the minimum recommended levels.
Inactivity is a key factor in the dramatic growth of obesity. 61% of English adults and 30% of children are overweight or obese.
All walking is beneficial, but for the greatest benefits to heart, lungs and blood pressure, brisk is best. You should be breathing a little faster, feeling a little warmer and can feel your heart beating a little faster, but you still feel comfortable and are able to talk,
Regular brisk walking will
- Improve performance of the heart, lungs and circulation.
- Lower blood pressure.
- Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and strokes – inactive and unfit people have double the risk of dying from CHD.
Walking regularly at any speed will
- Help manage weight.
- Reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes
- Reduce the risk of certain cancers such colon, breast and lung cancer
- Improve flexibility and strength of joints, muscles and bones, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
- Increase “good”cholesterol.
- Boost the immune system.
- Improve mood, reduce anxiety, aid sleep and improve self-image
For most people, walking is the easiest way to meet physical activity recommendations. Walking is...
- free and requires no special equipment, training or gym or club memberships.
- available to almost everyone
- safe and low-impact, with a low risk of injuries and accidents.
- easy to start slowly and build up gradually
…and it’s one of the easiest activities to fit into your everyday life.
- You can walk from your doorstep at a time that suits you.
- You can use walking for everyday short
- You don’t need to concentrate on the walking itself, leaving you free to enjoy your surroundings, chat to friends and family or just relax.
- You can enjoy a variety of surroundings as you walk in different places and different seasons
“Brisk walking has the greatest potential for increasing the overall activity levels of a sedentary population…[and] is most likely to be adopted by a range of ages, socioeconomic and ethnic groups” (Hillsdon and Thorogood 1996).
Sustainable transport
If we all swapped one car journey a week for walking instead, car traffic levels would reduce by at least 10% (Sustrans 2009).
Walking is the most natural and inclusive means of transport.
- Walking is free.
- Walking doesn’t involve the use of vehicles, machinery, fuel or special equipment that would otherwise need to be manufactured, transported and disposed of safely.
- Walkers don’t need training.
- Walking doesn't produce excess carbon dioxide or noxious fumes or cause noise pollution
- Walking is an efficient use of public space: 20 times as many people can move in the same space by walking as in a car.
- Walking is a key part of almost all public transport journeys, and better provision for walkers can also increase use of public transpor
Economic benefits
Walkers in the countryside contribute to the rural economy.
- Walkers in the English countryside spend around £6.14billion a year, generating income in excess of £2billion and supporting up to 245,000 full time jobs
- People living in Scotland spend a total of around £900million on walking trips, while walking visitors to Scotland contribute £438million
- Walking tourism in rural and coastal Wales contributes over £550million to the economy.
Popular walking routes are major assets to the tourist industry.
- The South West Coast Path, generates £307million a year for the economy of the region, supporting over 7,500 jobs but costs only £500,000 a year to maintain.
- The West Highland Way, Scotland’s most popular official long distance route, attracts 75,000 visitors a year, generating £3.5million and supporting around 200 local businesses.
- The proposed English coastal path will generate £2,572million per year for the local economies and support 100,000 full time jobs.
Walking brings economic benefits to town and city centres too as people on foot tend to linger longer and spend more. Walking and cycling routes gives benefit to cost ratios of 20:1, compared to road and rail schemes' typical 3:1 ratio
London’s West End VIP (Very Important Pedestrian) Days in December and May, when Oxford and Regent Streets are closed to traffic, have increased footfall by up to 40% with some stores achieving their best sales figures of the year
More people walking could bring vast savings to the nation’s health bill.
- Physical inactivity currently costs the NHS in England between £1billion and £1.8billion a year, and around £8.3billion to the wider economy in sick days and premature deaths.
- Obesity alone already costs the economy £16billion. If current trends continue, this may rise to £50billion by 2050.
Social benefits
Walking is sociable, improving our sense of community and helping tackle crime and the fear of crime – also good for our mental health.
- People on streets with light traffic typically have 3-4 times as many local friends as those on streets with heavy traffic.
- Being able to walk helps local residents take ownership of their streets and increase surveillance that deters crime – the “eyes on the street” effect
- Improving walkability also improves liveability, resulting in surroundings at human scale that facilitate not only walking but social interaction, play, relaxation, discovery and enjoyment.
For a comprehensive summary of the benefits of walking, complete with full references, download our Benefits of Walking factsheet.
Walking Facts and Figures 1: The benefits of walking (PDF)
