The U.S. surgeon general prescribed a single activity to the nation on Wednesday, pointing to its ability to reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It’s walking. All doctors and health experts agree that walking is safe enough for everyone to do. It’s also effective enough to stave off disease, maintain your weight…
First it was a ban on plastic bags. Then came the workplace prohibition on e-cigarettes. Now the Los Angeles City Council is embarking on a new and controversial exercise in behavior modification: Getting more Angelenos to give up, or at least reduce their reliance on, the automobile. Council members are on the verge of approving…
Robert Zarr is walking from his Columbia Heights medical practice toward Meridian Hill Park, talking about what’s going on inside his head. If you could see his brain on an MRI, he says, far more extensive regions would be lighting up than if he were having this same conversation sitting at his desk. Zarr, a…
Health experts suggest that allotting just 25 minutes of the day for walking could have beneficial effects on one’s youth and longevity. In a new study presented at the meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) this weekend, researchers said that engaging in regular exercise could increase a person’s average lifespan and reduce ageing….
Planner Jeff Speck leads a video tour of four different street redesigns. Jeff Speck: Four Road Diets from Cupola Media on Vimeo. A road diet is a great way for cities to reclaim some of the excess street space they’ve dedicated to cars—generally preserving traffic flows while improving safety and expanding mobility to other modes….
A small amount of exercise may improve our ability to think as we age, but more may not be better, according to a new study of exercise and cognition. We all know that working out is good for us. But precisely how much or how little exercise is needed to gain various health benefits, and…
In his just-released Call to Action on Walking, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy announced a national campaign to encourage Americans to walk more and make all communities safer and easier for walking. His office will partner with schools, citizens groups and businesses to meet these goals. (To get people moving they’ve even loaded a walking…
The days of suburban cul de sacs are numbered: Millennials prefer walking over driving by 12 percentage points, according to a new poll conducted for the National Association of Realtors. That’s the largest margin in favor of walking for any generation. Millennials want to live within walking distance to shops and restaurants, and have a…
The U.S. Surgeon General is calling on Americans to “step it up” — that is, to do more walking. He says this easy and free activity could prevent serious health problems. On Wednesday, Dr. Vivek Murthy launched the “Step It Up” campaign in Washington, D.C., a national effort to promote walking and wheelchair rolling. He…
The Surgeon General of the United States is asking for 22 minutes of your time every day. Vivek Murthy’s national “Call to Action” is a nationwide initiative urging people of all ages to walk for a minimum of 150 minutes a week – the amount of physical activity shown to reduce the effects of chronic disease,…
