Why New Yorkers Walk More – and Faster

Many years ago, I visited New York City with my brother, and at one point, while walking a mile to our subway stop, he said, “It’s easy to see why New York is the thinnest city in the country.”

At the time, I found that interesting, but I had forgotten about it in the years since, until a recent episode of the StarTalk podcast reminded me of it.

As the name suggests, StarTalk normally discusses astrophysics and other science matters, but some of the episodes also address the science of human behavior. This one was about the power of adaptability.

When the hosts mentioned that New Yorkers tend to be thinner, they added that it was because of how people in NYC walk.

Travel by foot

One factor is simply that many New Yorkers walk almost everywhere. Fewer than 50% of residents own cars, so they have to get around on foot, by bike, or by using public transit.

This means that without even trying, they average 6,000 to 10,000 steps a day, compared to the more typical 3,000 to 4,000 steps for other Americans. All that movement helps them stay fit.

This makes sense to me. When I went to Northeastern University in Boston, I didn’t have a car because it would have been more trouble and expense than it was worth. Instead, I walked or took the subway everywhere – and if you’ve ever taken Boston’s subway, you know even that involves a fair amount of walking.

Fitbits and smartphones didn’t exist then, so I have no idea how many steps I took in a day, but it was a lot. I’ve always assumed this is the reason that, for those five years, my weight remained high but stable, unlike earlier years when I always gained.

And it’s not like I ate less. If anything, with access to the school’s cafeteria and on-site fast-food places, I ate more. Still, I didn’t gain any weight until I moved back to Maine and stopped all that walking, and then I gained 20 pounds in a year.

Speed matters

But interestingly, it’s not only about how much walking New Yorkers do. It’s also about how fast they do it. As they commented on StarTalk: “We’re in a hurry even when we don’t need to be.”

Intuitively, it makes sense to me that big city walkers are generally faster. Unlike going for a walk for recreation, those in the city usually have a purpose, somewhere to be, and most likely a schedule to keep. That may motivate them to move quickly.

New York is also known for its fast-paced life, and that might be catching. Having a mindset of doing things quickly may influence how fast you walk, and if you’re around other brisk walkers, you may speed up simply to keep pace.

On StarTalk, they also mentioned a study that found that, “The bigger, more denser your city is, the faster you walk.”

Small wonder, then, that New Yorkers walk fast.

It also makes sense that moving more quickly helps you stay in shape. Fast walking gets your heart rate up more than a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood, as I’ve found with my Apple Watch. I’ve noticed that I don’t get points for the “exercise” ring unless I’m moving quickly.

Where you live impacts your health

It was interesting hearing about walking in New York City, and it also reminds me of how much our location influences our health. And walkability is just one factor. Things like food accessibility, air quality, access to healthcare, green spaces, and more all matter.

This doesn’t mean you have to move to NYC to be fit. You can try to walk a little more or a little faster wherever you are, or find other ways to incorporate movement. Unlike a New Yorker, though, it may take a more conscious effort – or you could get a smart watch that nudges you along.