London - One in seven adults go a whole month without taking a walk of at least ten minutes, official statistics reveal.
For the over 65 age group, a quarter of men and nearly one in three women fail to stretch their legs every four weeks.
Urban dwellers are more likely to walk because they have to, while people in rural parts are more likely to do so for pleasure.
The Department for Transport figures, which cover England, show that 86 percent of adults walk for at least ten minutes once a month for any purpose. But that means 14 percent – one in seven – do not.
There is also a link between walking and general fitness – with those who stroll most also likely to exercise most. The report concludes: “On the whole, people who did not walk did not compensate by being more physically active in other ways.”
There were no marked differences between the sexes. The 16 to 24 age bracket are the most frequent walkers – mainly out of necessity – but the practice declines “steadily with age”.
Walking for pleasure tends to rise up to about 54 and there is a “marked decline” beyond the age of 74.
Daily Mail