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when it comes to walking, the destination matters more than the journey
research shows that walking with a purpose is better for your health.
aug 14 2020
1 minute read
you walk faster when you have a destination which is better for your health. stock/getty
while a daily walk around the block might be an easy way to incorporate exercise and fresh air into your routine — especially during the pandemic — researchers have found that not all walks are created equal.
a new study published in the journal of transport and health shows that the purpose of a walk has different effects on walking speed and how healthy you feel, depending if you’re headed off to work, to the mall or taking a stroll just for fun.
researchers from the ohio state university followed 125,885 adults in the united states between the ages of 18 and 64 to examine the links between health outcomes and walking. they analyzed each walking trip and divided them into five categories: home-based work (home-based meaning that the home is either the origin or destination of a trip), home-based shopping, home-based recreation, home-based other and non-home-based trips.
studies have shown that the health benefits of walking are associated with the amount, which is measured by its frequency, intensity (speed) and duration. this study showed that an extra 10 minutes of walking to and from work increased the odds of a person reporting a higher health outcome by six percent, while this effect is smaller for other home-based trips at three percent. researchers also found that people walked faster for home-based work trips at 2.69 miles per hour, followed by walking for recreation which clocked in at 2.55 miles per hour.
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the results may be helpful for urban planners and policy makers when it comes to creating healthier neighbourhoods. “if decision-makers and planners focus on designing walk-friendly neighbourhoods and mixed land-use to increase active travel in an individual’s daily routine, this may enhance public health as well as environmental sustainability,” the authors wrote. “for example, cities can build sidewalks and rest areas for commute and recreational walking, which tend to be long in distance and duration.”
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