Health experts claim that walking is the best exercise. However, people are walking less on a daily basis. What has caused this and what can be done about it?

According to

health professors, walking is one of the simple yet effective methods which enhance one’s

overall

wealth-being.

Nevertheless

, despite being aware of health benefits, walking seems no longer a daily activity since the development of current transport systems nowadays. In

this

essay, I will point out the reasons for the issue and propose some solutions to tackle the matter. The reasons why people nowadays prefer sedentary lifestyles and walk less than before are varied.

Firstly

, not everyone can live near their workplace,

hence

, the presence of private vehicles

such

as cars and motorbikes, … makes commuting more convenient and faster.

That is

why individuals normally would rather travel by their own transport than walk to work and study.

Secondly

, the rise of buildings

such

as apartments, restaurants, and shopping malls,… leaves less space for walking.

In particular

, the pavements are getting narrower and there are fewer local parks in big cities.

Along with

this

is the hectic daily working and study life, which makes city dwellers have no place and time for regular walking.

However

, there are many proposals that can be taken into consideration to encourage people to walk more.

To begin

with, local authorities should introduce policies that restrict the use of private vehicles to mitigate traffic-clogged roads and incentivise the use of public transportation. That means the inhabitants have to walk to bus, train or subway stations when using these vehicles. Another approach is to renovate living space, particularly, widening sidewalks, and building more local parks and workout areas in the offices,… If city dwellers have proper conditions like these, they will deliberately walk more. In conclusion, it is the busy lifestyles and the development of transportation and facilities that discourage people to walk less. Having said that, governments should consider adopting some methods to change the situation.