Now here’s a thought to consider. Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week. For 93 percent of all trips outside the home, for whatever distance or whatever purpose, Americans now get in a car. On average the total walking of an American these days — that’s walking of all types: from car to office, from office to car, around the supermarket and shopping malls — adds up to 1.4 miles a week, barely 350 yards a day. That’s ridiculous.

–Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

Less than a mile and half a week?! Wow, that is ridiculous. No wonder we’re a nation swaddled by obesity.

Before I moved to Austin, I lived in a smaller city — Syracuse, New York, my hometown. For many reasons, with finances being the primary one, I did not own a car until I was 28. I commuted to work by city bus and trekked on foot to the store, to see friends, and just for fun. Syracuse can be a bitter, snow-laden place in the winter, and it wasn’t until I moved to Texas that I realized how hardy I was from all those years of walking through such varied weather.

In 1991 I purchased my first car — an Eagle Summit manual transmission with no radio — brand new for a really good price. I dubbed her Blue Belle because she was, well, blue and small. I owned that car for 10 years and grieved when she quit. The reason I bought the car was that, in order to complete my B.A. at SUNY Oswego (50 miles from Syracuse), I had to commute to classes. And oh, how I loved the new flexibility and mobility it provided!

It was heaven.

Until I gained weight.

Thus I discovered one unwelcome consequence to driving. However, I worked at Syracuse University, which has the Carrier Dome, an enclosed stadium. Once around the promenade is one-third of a mile. Every day, I walked over on my lunch hour and power-walked three miles, rain, snow, or shine. In nice weather I walked outside. And being a smaller city, many of Syracuse’s streets are navigable; you can walk across town without putting your life on the line. I regained my fitness in short order.

Upon moving to Austin, I was struck at how auto-dependent the city is, and how unfriendly it is to pedestrians. The lack of a car makes it difficult to get to a job, given the rush hour crawl and the distances one often has to commute. (In my work at a non-profit mental health agency, I provided life skills training to clients, including teaching them how to navigate by bus. It was often an all-day affair to make a round trip from north to south Austin.)

Gradually the weight crept up again, farther than ever before. Most of the time I didn’t live in apartment communities that felt neighborly with easy access to suburban side streets. Also, with one exception I lived on the third floor, which provided an incentive to my lazy side not to venture out.

This year I’ve begun to reclaim my favorite activity. I was given a simple digital pedometer for Christmas and made a commitment to aim for between 4,000 and 6,000 steps per day. I would still prefer to live in a city where I don’t have to drive to a greenbelt for a nature hike, and where I don’t take my life in my hands crossing broad four-lane roads where people run red lights and speed over the 45 mph limit. I wish I could do more of my errands on foot, but this just isn’t how large cities are built. Still, I live in a pleasant suburb which provides ample safe walking, and my mental and physical health has improved for it.

I recently watched a Frontline episode focused on diet wars in which James Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado in Denver, mentioned the America on the Move program. The mission: generate a grassroots movement encouraging people to make healthy eating choices and engage in more physical activity, with walking being one that is accessible to most people. Every little bit helps, such as decreasing your food intake 100 calories a day and walking 2000 steps a day to start.

My interest was piqued by this program. Then I saw a McDonald’s ad; they’re hopping on the bandwagon with Go Active! happy meals which include a Stepometer (toy pedometer). I was chatting last night with Sheila at the bloggers Meetup about her Stepometer. It doesn’t sound, from her description, as though it’s very accurate. But as she said, it’s a way to see if she can make it a habit and if so, then she’ll spend money for a real pedometer. I told her I’d been thinking of writing a post about walking and promised links. So without further ado:

• America’s Walking – from a PBS show, this link provides information on what a pedometer is.
• The Walking Site offers good information about starting a program as well as marathon and racewalking.
• I was inspired by Bill Bryson, who hiked the AT; learn more at the Appalachian Trail Conference and Appalachian Trail Home Page.
• Art Garfunkel took a Walk Across America and wrote poems and songs about it. He is now taking a walk across the European continent.
• If going further afield interests you too, you can take walking and hiking tours across the U.S. and internationally; learn more here and here.
• If you want to stick closer to home, you might check out the American Volkssports Association Walking Clubs and Walking Volksmarch Events and Mall Walkers of America. In Austin, the two officially walk-friendly malls are Lakeline and Barton Creek; their doors open to mallwalkers at 8:00 a.m. Monday-Saturday and 9:00 a.m. on Sunday.
• America WALKs is a national coalition of local advocacy groups dedicated to promoting walkable communities. The local advocacy group is WALK Austin.
• Central Texas offers lots of great hiking; find out where by visiting Austin Explorer.
• Mike Dahmus is an Austin resident who is active on the Urban Transportation Commission, which aims to assess transportation needs and alternatives in Austin. He also writes a blog, Mike’s Bake-Sale Of Bile, on which you can read about his advocacy.

Well, there’s plenty of material here to inspire and guide you. I hope I’ve raised your awareness and curiosity about walking. It is one of the most natural forms of movement for us. If you incorporate a little bit more each day into your routine, you will be the better for it. Happy trails to you.