Walkers would rather tackle hard yards than a gentle stroll
FORGET taking the easy path – walks with obstacles are more popular, a Cambridge University study has found.
Researchers examined how likely people are to pick a more challenging walking route over a conventional one, and which design characteristics influ- enced their choices.
Nearly 80 per cent of walkers said they would take a more challenging route over a monotonous one.
The findings suggest that creating footpaths featuring obstacles – such as balance beams and stepping stones – could be a popular way to tackle an “inactivity pandemic” and improve overall health.
While going on a walk is better than being sedentary, doctors say that simply walking does not cause any significant increase in heart rate.
Walking also does not improve balance or bone density – unless it includes jumping, balancing and stepping. The team invited almost 600 UK residents to compare photos of challenging routes and conventional pavements. The paths with obstacles incorporated different elements such as stepping stones, balancing beams, and high steps. Some routes had a mix of scenarios such as crossing water, shortcuts, unusual sculptures, the presence or absence of a handrail and other people.
Each participant was asked to score how challenging they thought the route would be from one to seven, with one being easy to walk and seven being impossible.
About 80 per cent of the study’s participants opted for a challenging route in at least one of the scenarios, depending on the level of difficulty and design characteristics.
Where a challenging option was shorter than a conventional route, this increased the likelihood of being chosen by 10 per cent. The presence of handrails also achieved a 12 per cent rise.
Dr Anna Boldina, of the University of Cambridge’s Department of Architecture and lead author of the study, said: “Even when the increase in level and extent of activity level is modest, when millions of people are using cityscapes every day, those differences can have a major positive impact on public health.
“Our findings show that pedestrians can be nudged into a wider range of physical activities through minor changes to the urban landscape. We want to help policy makers and designers to make modifications that will improve physical health and wellbeing.”