How to Walk for Fun and Profit
Posted in Health, Money, guides by George
Did you know that 80% of all trips less than a mile in length are made by car? Now you do. I was just reading a post on one of my new favorite blogs, Get Rich Slowly, entitled: “How to Walk for Fun and Profit.” This article discusses all of the various benefits you get from walking a mile instead of driving it.
I know a man who drives to work, even though he lives half a mile from his office. Why does he drive? Because he may need the car for some errand during the day. How many errands did he run during the workday last week? None. The week before? None.
I have a family member who will spend time circling a parking lot, looking for the perfect space. In the time it takes her to find these utopic spots, she could usually have parked farther from the entrance and burned some calories by walking a few hundred feet to the store.
Another friend lives just over a mile from her brother. She never walks to see him, but always drives. Why? Because walking would take too long. (The drive takes five minutes because of the road layout; walking takes less than twenty minutes.)
I’d like to add that walking a mile takes 15 minutes at a casual pace. By the time you drive and find a parking spot, you’re going to spend about 10 minutes at least. By walking you save money on gas, you avoid wear and tear on your car, you don’t pollute, and you get some exercise! Awesome!
June 23rd, 2006 at 11:19 am
I live 1.5-2 miles away from work…it would take me 22-30 minutes to walk, but I could only do it in the areas of spring and fall, because the summer is just too hot to be wearing business casual work clothes and walking to work, and winter would be too cold, snowy, and icy.
I do not think that walking is be all and end all. Too many people have gotten used to the convenience of driving a car.
The little example of the guy at work who needs his car for errands is also somewhat faulty. They make the point that he din’t make any trips in the last two weeks. But does not mean he might actaully have some errand or emergency to attend to in the future. So in a week, he has used a half a gallon to a gallon of fuel to drive to work. This is not a big deal.
Who walks to get to anywhere? Do you George? If you are only making 1 mile trips everywhere, then you’d have to make a hundred trips to amount to anything.
You know what is wasteful, the fact that I have to drive somewhere to go run. And I really don’t mind paying for the gas to drive 5-15 minutes to get to some nice trails or a track. Its my choice.
June 23rd, 2006 at 12:03 pm
For the record I bike or walk everywhere at school (my apt is about 1 - 1.5 miles from class), with the exception of driving to dinner if it’s raining.
But I never said everyone had to, I was just posting an article that mentioned some benefits of walking…
June 24th, 2006 at 4:45 am
I drive around the parking lot looking for a closer spot. I have no issues with that.
15mins per mile for walking does not strike me as a casual pace. I have not walked a mile around a track or with a pedometer in quite some time but I think 20mins is more of a casual pace. Certainly 15mins can be done, just not casually.
I think the greater benefit from people walking more and driving less would have to deal with annoyances from traffic rather than gas consumption.
June 24th, 2006 at 10:03 am
holy cow. Do you guys (jon and waco kid) know how wussy your comments sound? you can’t handle a little walking if the weather isn’t perfect? you can’t take the effort to save yourself some time and stroll across the parking lot instead of circle it in your car?
you guys sound like babies. i don’t mean to offend - but read your comments, they’re pitiful. is a 20 minute walk in the sun or snow that terrifying?
June 25th, 2006 at 1:39 am
I’m all with JT on this one. 15 minutes for a mile isn’t that bad. If you’re smart, you could head out earlier and walk slower. Have you hiked 68 miles in New Mexico in the mountains at a 15-20 minute mile pace with 50+ pounds of gear on you at 10,000+ ft at a 35% grade? Probably not. What do you have to carry, a few books and your keys if your in college or if not, but in the workforce, a 9 pound brifcase at most.
Step it up fellas.
June 25th, 2006 at 11:33 am
Ha, glad somebody called out Waco Kid and Jon.