Walking is a basic form of transportation that has an impact on health, social equality, and economic and community development. Regular physical activity helps prevent and improve outcomes for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and breast and colon cancer. It also supports positive mental health, emotional well-being, and improved cognitive skills. Arkansas’s walkable infrastructure needs improvement, and initiatives such as Healthy Active Arkansas and Capitol Go! are raising awareness, providing guidance, and creating incentives to make walking a safe, easy choice.
This fact sheet summarizes the impact of physical activity on health, describes the global-to-local emphasis on areas for action, and provides examples of community walkability efforts.
