WASHINGTON (AP) — Take a walk: That’s the U.S. surgeon general’s prescription for sedentary Americans — but communities will have to step up, too, and make neighborhoods easier and safer for foot traffic.

Only half of adults and just over a quarter of high school students get the amount of physical activity recommended for good health, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in a “call to action” being issued today.

No worries if you can’t join a gym or run a 10K. Walking is a simple, affordable way to get the needed exercise, Murthy said — if people have a place to do it.

“I firmly believe that everybody in America needs a safe place to walk or to wheelchair roll,” Murthy said in an interview, urging a range of groups to work together to create walkable communities. “For too many of our communities, that is not the reality right now.”

Some things to know about the surgeon general’s walking campaign:

Walking really counts

Regular physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and a list of other health problems — and can ease symptoms and improve quality of life for people already living with chronic diseases.

Guidelines issued in 2008 recommend that adults get at least 2 1/2 hours a week of moderately intense physical activity. Children should be active at least 60 minutes every day.

To get your heart rate up, Murthy says walking should be brisk enough that you can still talk but not sing.

 

The barriers 

People often say there’s no time in their busy days to exercise, and their environment can make it harder to fit activity into everyday routine.

In many places, schools, restaurants and shops are located too far from home for people to walk. Busy streets may lack sidewalks, or there may not be adequate time to cross multiple lanes of traffic. Parents who live near schools still often cite traffic danger.