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If you’re running into your neighbors on the sidewalk a lot more these days, this may help explain it:

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control shows that six in 10 adults, or 62 percent, reported they’d taken at least a 10-minute walk in the past week. That’s up from 56 percent in 2005.

“More than 145 million adults are now getting some of their physical activity by walking,” Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a statement. Walking burns calories, improves your mood, takes no special equipment or training, and doesn’t stress your body.

“People who are physically active live longer and are at lower risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and some cancers,” Frieden said. “Having more places for people to walk in our communities will help us continue to see increases in walking, the most popular form of physical activity among U.S. adults.” Walking is good for the planet, as well.

By walking to work, to the store or to the post office – instead of driving your car — you’ll be cutting down on air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, oil consumption and the money you spend on gas, maintenance and parking. http://www.greenlivingapartments.com/

The results of the study, released Aug. 8 by the Centers for Disease Control, showed that in the West, roughly 68 percent of people walked at least 10 minutes — more than any other region in the country. In the South, 49 percent said they walked in 2005, but that rose to 57 percent in 2010, the report said.

For many people, the Mayo Clinic recommends walking five to 10 minutes daily and slowly building up to 15 minutes twice a week. Over several weeks’ time, you can gradually work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of walking most days each week.

For other walking tips, including how to start a walking club, visit the Mayo Clinic site or the CDC site.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612

http://www.cdc.gov/features/vitalsigns/walking/

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/08/08/6-in-10-

US–adults–walk-10-minutesweek/UPI-99291344398808/#ixzz23ACaCF4l