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According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six in 10 adults now get physically active by walking, but less than half get enough physical activity to improve their health. 

The government report said that 62 percent of adults say they walked for at least once for 10 minutes or more in the previous week in 2010, compared to 56 percent in 2005. But, only 48 percent of all adults get enough physical activity to improve their health, according to data from the National Health Interview Survey.  

CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden said more than 145 million adults are now getting some of their physical activity by walking, 

"People who are physically active live longer and are at lower risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and some cancers, Frieden said. "Having more places for people to walk in our communities will help us continue to see increases in walking, the most popular form of physical activity among American adults."

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends at least 2 ½ hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, such as brisk walking to get substantial health benefits.  This activity should be done for at least 10 minutes at a time.

According to the report, increases in walking were seen in nearly all groups surveyed. Walkers were defined as those who walked for at least one session of 10 minutes or more for transportation, fun or exercise.  

In the western part of the country, about 68 percent of people walk, more than any other region in the country. People living in the South had the largest increase in the percentage of people who walk, up by nearly 8 percentage points from about 49 percent in 2005 to 57 percent in 2010.

 The report also found that more adults with arthritis or hypertension are walking, but there was no increase in walking among adults with type 2 diabetes.

Joan M. Dorn, branch chief of the Physical Activity and Health Branch in CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity said that it is encouraging to see the increases in the number of adults who are now walking, but there is still room for improvement. 

"People need more safe and convenient places to walk," Dorn said. "People walk more where they feel protected from traffic and safe from crime.  Communities can be designed or improved to make it easier for people to walk to the places they need and want to go."

The report suggested that state and local governments consider joint use agreements to let community residents use local school tracks or gyms after classes have finished and employers should create walking paths around or near the work place and promote them with signs and route maps.

The government agency also said that citizens can participate in local planning efforts that identify best sites for walking paths and priorities for new sidewalks.

For more information on CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, visi www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao.