For years, many of us thought that for getting in shape, people had to run: the idea of physical activity brought to mind vinyl suits, bad shorts, ragged breathing and feet pounding down on hard asphalt.

But that’s not the whole story, and for a whole lot of Americans, there’s an easier, more accessible method to getting fitter and more agile.

Walking is not just a “passive” activity.  Walking at a good clip gets the blood flowing.  Walking works the leg muscles and, if done anywhere beyond four walls, gets a person out into the air.  And, walking raises the heart rate.  Maybe not as much as breaking into a full-on run, but with distance walking, we can realize a lot of the benefits that more ‘extreme’ fitness participants get with aerobics and other activities.

Sounds simple...but somehow, all of this gets lost in the mix for many of us, regardless of where we live.  Here’s how.

The automobile has been great for a lot of aspects of our modern American life – but not for our walking!  It turns out that with the combination of cars and labor-saving devices that pipe practically everything right into your home, for a large population of Americans, there’s hardly any need to ever set foot beyond the front door!

You’d think people living in remote areas would be walking more than city people, but in many cases, you’d be wrong.  When a trip outside means a short jaunt to the garage or driveway, not a lot of walking gets added to the equation.

It’s city people who tend to get the most walking, because the close-together nature of an urban environment provides opportunities for walking: that is, situations where walking is more practical than driving.  But that’s not the case in our vast suburbs, and as a result, walking has become, in some places, quite obsolete.  Take a look at the sidewalks around your community, and you’re likely to see what I mean.

The people who get the most walking in?  These are urban dwellers who live in a building with multiple stories.  Where an elevator is not available, not working or otherwise inaccessible, city dwellers get a lot of exercise just in the regular motions of getting through their day.

If only all of us lived four flights up...but then, that’s not the point.

The point is this: we have to change our outlook on what’s really more efficient.

Many hard-working people are feeling fatigued.  Those of them who work in physically stressful environments are feeling exhausted from manual work – but the growing number of office workers who feel drained at the end of the day may be suffering from something else entirely – a lack of movement!

Individuals can change this pattern: if you have an iPhone or other device, you can use it to chart your actual distance walked per day, and adjust accordingly.  If you always get in the car to go down the street to your neighbor’s house, next time, try hoofing it.  And, if you get those valued ten minute breaks during the morning and afternoon of your office day, don’t spend them around the water cooler!  Get out and go anywhere...or nowhere.  Just go.

Practicing these simple steps can get someone in “walking withdrawal” back into a more balanced life.  Skeptics might think this is just hype – but, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!  See what walking can do for putting vitality into your step and keeping you balanced and alert during the day, especially if machines have made walking, for you, obsolete.