'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mumbai may be the running capital of India, but a recent survey’s results show that the city lags behind Delhi and Bangalore when it comes to walkers. A recent three-city survey has found that Mumbaikars don’t like to walk for more than 3 km a day as compared to residents from the other two cities who fare much better.
The survey shows that people in Mumbai fall behind when it comes to walking for health reasons. Delhiites are said to like walking every day to maintain health while people from Bangalore simply find it enjoyable. Mumbaikars on the other hand are said to have given a wide list of excuses for not being inclined to walk more than 3 km on average. These reasons range from ‘could have walked more if there was better security’, ‘need more walking stretches’ and ‘the weather is terrible’.
Experts recommend walking for about 6 km an hour to burn up to 300 calories and medical studies have also shown that 30 minutes of mild to moderate exercise, such as walking, can indeed play a role in reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cardiac problems and hypertension.
On the flip side, the idea of fitness across metro cities in India is on the rise.
“We started with a very low base in India. Awareness has certainly grown, but there is a long way to go.”, says Dr, Aashish Contractor, a preventive cardiologist and medical director of the Mumbai marathon.
He feels that fitness is still a touchy thing for many people, especially in cities: “In a city like Mumbai, where survival and commuting is so hard, very few have the energy to take up exercising.”
75% of the population interviewed said they exercised regularly while half of them said they walked for health reasons.
People interviewed in the three cities above said that walking had helped them avoid junk food and that they were now consuming a larger proportion of fruits after having started running or walking.
Delhiites viewed walking as a way of socializing while for Mumbaikars it served as a good way to control their weight.
Goregaon resident V. Ramachandran, a 51-year-old company secretary and regular marathoner said that Mumbai faced two major drawbacks when it came to running and indeed walking.
“The only thing Mumbai lacks is unbroken roads like Delhi and Bangalore. The only other minus point for Mumbai is high humidity,” he said.
“Otherwise Mumbai is the capital of running in India at the moment”, added Ramachandran.
The survey was conducted by research firm AC Nielsen for insurance firm Max Bupa.
