How to Promote Walking

We all agree that if everyone was to walk at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, the human race would be much healthier. But how to bring this about - apart from eliminating gasoline completely? Researchers in the UK have studied which approaches to increasing walking are successful, and have reported their findings in the British Medical Journal.

The only successes were achieved by two approaches – targeting and tailoring. Targeting meant offering help and advice to individuals or households that were already motivated to change their behavior, or those who were most sedentary. And tailoring meant a willingness to provide individual counseling or written materials tailored to the participants’ requirements, with individualized incentives to take part.

In targeted populations, successful interventions could achieve an increase in walking averaging30-60 minutes a week. Most of the studies analyzed included only women, but in 3 studies men were more likely than women to increase their walking.

Like many studies, this one confirms what we already know, deep in our hearts. Motivation has to come from within, and tap into available resources for implementation. If your doctor tells you that you must increase your physical activity “or else”, not many will make absolutely no attempt to comply. And if the spirit is finally there, the flesh will follow. With the help of a pedometer, perhaps.