Would New Yorkers Rather Drive a Short Distance Than Walk?

We've all heard the saying, "These boots are made for walking." Well, it seems that for many New Yorkers, those boots might actually be made for driving.

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According to a study by BarBend.com, 1 in 5 New Yorkers say they would rather hop into their cars and drive for 5 minutes than take a walk to their destination. Apparently people from the Empire State prefer the path of least resistance.

Known in the scientific world as the route that provides the least resistance to forward motion, New Yorkers are no strangers to taking the easy way out. In this case, it means choosing the convenience of our vehicles over the health benefits of walking.

The study surveyed 3,394 people and found that 22% of New Yorkers admitted that they would rather take a short drive than a 5 minute walk. This percentage is slightly lower than the national average, which is at 32%.

The Benefits Of Walking

Walking offers many great health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health and reducing stress. It also gives us a little bit of time to ourselves in our busy lives. Deciding to walk instead of drive has the added benefits of saving on gas costs.

Despite the preference for driving, 41% of respondents admitted that they don't feel like they walk enough in a day. When asked about their daily step count, the study found that the average New Yorkers walks around 3,167 steps per day.

Men tend to get a few more steps in than women averaging 3,789 steps, where women clocked in at an average of 2,902 steps.