The World's Fastest Walkers

We just saw (via MoleskineCity) that a new study on walking speeds around the world was released last Thursday by psychology researcher and professor Dr. Richard Wiseman. His team calculated how many seconds it took walkers in 32 metropolitan areas to cover 60 feet, and the results are slightly surprising. For one, New Yorkers only clocked in as the eighth fastest walkers, at 3.4 mph or 12 seconds per 60 feet. Another slightly surprising find: across all cities, we are walking 10 percent faster than we were in 1984. And along with upping their production and strengthening their economies in the last two decades, residents in Asian "tiger" areas like Singapore and Guangzhou have increased walking speeds by as much as 30 percent. Though the negative nelly scientists say faster walking speeds increase the risk of coronary disease and decrease our likelihood of helping others, I'd like to think it means we are just more productive and in much better shape in general. So follow the example of Singapore and Copenhagen you sluggish walkers in Blantyre, Manama, and Bern. You may have a heart attack but at least you'll get an extra few minutes of work done.

Richard Wiseman's Official Site
Modern Life: It's One Step at a Time, Only Much Quicker [Times]

-- Amanda Kludt

[Photo: flickr/Losgofres]