Researchers have highlighted several health benefits associated with walking and healthy eating. ACSM has also called actions to create healthier, more active communities in the US. The speakers have also asked for making communities safer and more accessible for wheelchairs.

Peter Norton, who has studied the history of transportation, said, “If the Surgeon General had called for people to exercise more, that would be just another predictable announcement; But he called for walking”.

On September 9, the surgeon general of the United States, Vivek Murthy, issued a call to address major public health challenges such as heart disease and diabetes.

The campaign asks community planners and local leaders to create more areas for people to walk and for wheelchair rolling. It even asked to prioritize the development of safe routes for children to get to and from schools.

Murthy said an active lifestyle is very necessary to achieve good health. Walking is the one of the effective way to build physical activity into our lives, he said.

He said it is very necessary to promote walking habits in country ensuring that everyone can choose to walk in their own communities.

Physical activity comes with bulks of benefits for both physical and mental health. Walking has been shown to improve blood sugar and blood pressure values, increase the size of the hippocampus (the area of the brain involved in learning and memory), help reduce negative emotions and stave off osteoporosis.

The walk ability of a neighborhood even has a positive impact on crime rates and democracy. But it is sad to know that many communities do not provide safe and well-designed walking spaces.