Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Spend 30 Minutes Watching This Doc and You’ll Spend the Next 30 Walking

Every Body Walk!, the new campaign spearheaded by Kaiser Permanente and a host of other organizations -- including the Office of the Surgeon General -- is on fire. Two weeks after hosting its first sold-out conference in Washington, DC, the campaign has put out this excellent documentary on the importance of integrating walking into our daily lives.

It includes tips on things like mall walking and parking in the farthest-away space in the lot, but at the heart of the documentary (and the campaign) is a focus on healthy cities and transportation systems that encourage physical activity. Every Body Walk! recommends 30 minutes of moderate-to-brisk walking, five days a week, for a 30-40 percent decrease in cardiovascular problems and a whole host of other ailments, from diabetes to dementia.

"If there were a pill that people could take that would nearly cut in half their risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes; reduce the risk of cognitive decline and depression; reduce stress; improve emotional well-being -- everyone would be clamoring to take it," said Harvard Medical School's Dr. JoAnn Manson in the documentary. "It would be flying off the shelves. That magic potion really is available to everyone in the form of 30 minutes a day of brisk walking." More and more, doctors are literally prescribing walking to treat all of these conditions.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Pressure’s on Hochul As Legislative Budget Proposals Don’t Fund MTA Capital Plan

"The clock is ticking" for Gov. Hochul to come up with a way to fund the next MTA capital — or start to pay the price in delayed projects.

March 12, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines: FOIL’ed Again Edition

How many Department of Transportation officials does it take to not answer reporters' Freedom of Information Law requests? (Sixteen!) Plus other news.

March 12, 2025

Data: Congestion Pricing is Not Rerouting Traffic to Other Boroughs

Traffic on four outerborough bridges dropped in February — defying MTA forecasts for increased through-traffic around the congestion relief zone.

March 12, 2025

Cross-Bronx Cap ‘Potentially Feasible’ — But Expensive: Report

Here's a plan for a highway that isn't a scar. Now all we need is the money.

March 11, 2025
See all posts