America Wasn’t Made for Walking, and It’s Killing Us
Outside of a few big cities, it’s hard to put in 10,000 steps a day in the US, and the pandemic seems to have made things worse.
Most Americans walk a lot fewer than 10,000 steps a day.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
About a year and a half ago, I became one of Those People who track how many steps they walk each day. I know there’s nothing magical about the daily 10,000-step target, but it’s a fun little pastime, made more fun by the fact that I surpass 10,000 most days without really trying.
That’s because I live in Manhattan, with a dog to walk, errands to run and a commute that usually consists either of a subway ride and then a walk across Central Park, or a bike ride mostly through the park during which I occasionally go slowly enough that the steps app on my phone thinks I’m running. (It also doesn’t hurt that the nearest coffee here at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters is half a block away from my desk.)