U.S. #4524e
2011 Choose to Walk
Go Green
Issue Date: April 14, 2011
City: Washington, DC
Quantity: 160,000,000
Printed By: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Color: Multicolored
It is a lovely day, the sun is shining – a perfect time to go for a walk! Walking offers many health benefits. It burns calories, exposes one to fresh air and sunlight, and is a welcome change from the breakneck pace of modern living.
Walking is great exercise. A 150-pound person who walks 2.5 miles in an hour (a fairly leisurely pace) will burn 205 calories. That can also be time shared with family or friends, or time spent running errands around town. Studies show that brisk walks also reduce mental deterioration and heart problems.
Choosing to walk also provides advantages in living “green,” as it promotes health for the individual and benefits the planet, as well. According to one report, if half the students at an average-sized elementary school walked to school, it could prevent about 39 tons of greenhouse gasses from entering the atmosphere in a single year.
Walking reduces traffic congestion, car exhaust, and use of fossil fuels. A 2008 Federal Highway Administration study showed that walking or biking to work reduced driving by up to 4% in the selected cities, or about 156 million miles not driven. Reducing that much vehicle travel means less gas used, less exhaust in the air, and healthier people. These are all great reasons to start walking.