Indians walk less than 30 minutes a day: Survey

A regular walk helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle but a survey indicates that a lot of people in India don't even walk for a minimum of 30 minutes a day at a brisk pace.

The online survey was conducted by international internet-based market research firm YouGov on behalf of the World Heart Federation.

As many as 1,021 adults (above 18 years of age) in India were surveyed. The study shows that 46 percent of the respondents walked less than half an hour at a brisk pace on a given day.

"Earlier studies have shown that walking is associated with reduced cardiovascular risk in the Indian population. Everyone should walk at least a total of 30 minutes at a brisk pace to lead a healthy and stress free life," Monika Arora, director, Health Promotion, Public Health Foundation of India, said in a statement.

It was also found that adults aged between 18 and 24 do more brisk walking on a typical day than those in any other age group.

Public Health Foundation of India had recently partnered the World Heart Federation to promote walking among Indians by announcing the launch of a free smartphone application Ground Miles to help people track their walking habits.