Walking as transport

"I found that what once appeared to be an indispensable journey to the shops half a mile away could be much better done walking than driving, and I felt better at the end of it" Michael Palin.

Would you like to walk instead of taking the car?

In Shropshire, only 40% of men and 28% of women take enough exercise to benefit their health. Almost half are overweight. Walking a mile in 20 minutes uses as much energy as running a mile in 10 minutes or cycling for 16 minutes.
On average, people take 2,000 steps a day. Experts recommend 10,000; about 4 miles (6.4 km).
If you take two 15 minute walks a day, you burn more calories and have lower stress levels than walking for 30 minutes in one go.
Many of our daily trips could be done on foot.

Walking more would benefit you by:

• strengthening your heart
• saving you money on petrol and car costs
• controlling your weight and blood pressure
• giving you a glow
• saving hassle finding parking spaces
• decreasing your risk of cancer

If you'd like to walk more, you can:

• walk to and from work
• park the car further away
• get the bus or train and walk either end
• walk to the shops with an empty backpack to do your shopping
• walk at lunchtime
• walk while talking on your mobile
• deliver a letter rather than posting it

In the 60s, people's daily activity was equivalent to a marathon a week more than now.

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