Everyday trips can count
The simplest way to add activity to a week is often to change how you make journeys you already make. The CDC's guidance for adults with chronic conditions and disabilities gives walking, wheelchair rolling or biking to places as examples of physical activity, and the same idea applies to anyone. A walk to a shop, a bus stop or a friend's home is physical activity. Whether it counts toward the aerobic part of the guidelines depends on the effort.
The CDC's list of activities that need moderate effort starts with walking fast and includes riding a bike on level ground or with few hills. Its list of vigorous activities includes riding a bike fast or on hills. So a brisk walk to work, or a ride across town, can contribute directly to the 150 minutes a week of moderate activity described in the first guide.
Because the second edition of the guidelines no longer requires activity to come in bouts of 10 minutes or more, short trips add up. Two brisk 15-minute walks on a workday make 30 minutes, which is the CDC's own example of a daily amount that reaches 150 minutes over 5 days.
What makes a walk brisk
A stroll and a brisk walk are different things in the guidelines' terms. The CDC's talk test is the easiest check: at a moderate effort you can talk but not sing. On the CDC's 0 to 10 effort scale, where sitting is 0 and your hardest effort is 10, moderate effort is about a 5 or 6.
The CDC also stresses that fitness levels differ. Walking may feel moderate to one person and vigorous to another. That is good news for anyone starting out: if an ordinary walk already raises your breathing and heart rate, it already counts. As fitness improves, the same walk may need a faster pace, or a route with a hill, to reach the same effort.
Worked example
This is an invented example and describes no real person. Someone who usually drives the short distance to a grocery store tries walking there and back twice a week, carrying a light load home. At a pace where they can talk but not sing, each round trip is about 25 minutes. Over a week that is 50 minutes of moderate activity from trips they were making anyway. The figures are illustrative only.
What the research says about steps
Step counts are popular, but the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are written in minutes, not steps. The CDC's benefits page does mention step research. It says taking more steps a day helps lower the risk of premature death from all causes, and describes one study in which that risk leveled off at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day for adults younger than 60, and at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day for adults 60 and older.
Two cautions keep this in proportion. First, that is the finding of one study as the CDC reports it, not a separate official target. Second, steps say nothing about effort: a slow step and a brisk step count the same on a step counter. If you use one, the guidelines' minutes of moderate or vigorous activity remain the measure to aim for.
Cycling for transport
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that Americans are increasingly cycling to commute, for exercise or just for fun. For the guidelines, cycling counts as moderate on level ground or gentle hills and as vigorous when it is fast or on hills, using the CDC's examples.
NHTSA's advice for building confidence is to start riding in a safe environment away from traffic, such as a park, a path or an empty parking lot, and to consider an on-bike class through a school, a recreation department, a bike advocacy group or a bike shop. The public places guide describes what the City of Pittsburgh lists among its outdoor activities, including cycling.
Safety on foot
NHTSA points out that at some point in the day everyone is a pedestrian, and it describes walking as a healthy form of transportation. Its safety tips for people on foot include:
- Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.
- Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available. Where there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from it as possible.
- Cross at crosswalks or intersections rather than mid-block. If there is no crosswalk or intersection, choose a well-lit spot with the best view of traffic and wait for a gap long enough to cross safely.
- Watch for vehicles entering or leaving driveways, or backing up in parking lots.
- Stay alert at crossings, and do not rely on others to keep you safe. Make eye contact with drivers when you can, and wait for a vehicle to stop completely before you step out.
NHTSA also tells drivers to take extra care at night and in bad weather, because pedestrians can be harder to see. For people on foot, the same fact is a reason to be visible. The weather guide covers walking in heat and cold.
Safety on a bike
NHTSA's bicycle safety advice is detailed. The main points are:
- Equipment. Wear a helmet and make sure it fits properly. Ride a bike that fits you and works, especially the brakes. Wear bright clothing in the day, and at night or in poor visibility use reflective gear, a white front light, a red rear light and reflectors.
- Carrying things. Keep both hands on the handlebars except when signaling, and carry items in a backpack or strapped to the bike. Tuck and tie shoelaces and pant legs so they do not catch in the chain.
- Route. On the road, choose routes with less traffic and slower speeds. The safest route may be away from traffic altogether, on a bike lane or path.
- Riding with traffic. Ride in the same direction as traffic, obey signs, signals and road markings, and ride predictably so drivers can tell what you will do.
- Attention. Assume others may not see you. Look ahead for hazards such as potholes, grates and train tracks, and avoid anything that takes your eyes, ears or mind off the road.
- Sidewalks. NHTSA advises avoiding or minimizing sidewalk riding, because drivers do not expect moving traffic there. If you must, check that it is legal where you are, pass pedestrians with care and a clear warning, and ride in the same direction as traffic.
NHTSA notes that all states require bicyclists on the roadway to follow the same rules and responsibilities as motorists. For local rules, check official City of Pittsburgh or Commonwealth of Pennsylvania sources; this site does not summarize them.
Building trips into your week
Some ways to turn journeys into activity, all within the guidelines' framework:
- Pick one regular short trip and walk or ride it on set days.
- If you use the bus, walk briskly to a stop a little further away when you have time and it is safe to do so.
- Use the talk test to check that at least part of each trip reaches a moderate effort.
- Keep a simple weekly tally of active-travel minutes alongside any other activity.
- Remember the strength requirement: walking and cycling cover the aerobic part, and the guidelines still ask for muscle-strengthening activity on 2 days a week. See the strength guide.
If you have a health condition or disability, the CDC's advice is to talk with a health care professional about the types and amounts of activity that suit you, and to be as active as you are able.
Next: Staying active through heat, cold, storms and smoky air