Delhi prefers morning walks, beats Mumbai by handsome margin

NEW DELHI: A high concentration of private vehicles in Delhi has not stopped people from enjoying their morning walk. A recent survey by Max Bupa has found that more Delhiites (80 per cent) prefer to walk in the morning than their counterparts (66 per cent) in the maximum city. According to the study, 56 per cent residents of the national capital claim that regular morning walk has increased their happiness levels. In Mumbai, only 46 percent claimed to be happier after their walk.
The survey, conducted in both the cities, gives a peek into the wide-ranging walking habits of the people. And contrary to expectations, more Delhiites claimed to prefer walking short distances than driving to that destination than Mumbaikars. So, while 45 per cent Delhiites said they would rather walk a short distance than drive, only 32 per cent of the respondents in Mumbai said the same. This was particularly true of the age group of 31-45 years, which accounted for 54 per cent of the people preferring walking short distances than driving.

That Delhiites are taking their health more seriously was apparent from the fact that 36 per cent of respondents in Delhi said they schedule work to leave office on time for their walks as compared to only 26 per cent Mumbaikars. Delhiites are also more social on their morning walks—they like to check mails, visit the market, stay connected on Facebook or Twitter or listen to music while walking.

However, Mumbaikars still walk more. The survey, which was carried out by AC Nielsen on the walking habits of Delhi and Mumbai and conducted on behalf of Max Bupa, found that the average walk duration of respondents in Mumbai was 38 minutes on every walk as compared to 34 minutes of Delhiites. The average walk duration over the week was 42 minutes in Mumbai as against 35 minutes in Delhi. Moreover, 56 per cent of the walkers in Delhi preferred walking with family while 50 per cent in Mumbai preferred to go out with friends.

Talking about the survey, 'Max Bupa Walk for Health', its CEO Manasije Mishra said, "The two key metropolis, Delhi and Mumbai, are battling rampant chronic illnesses and stress. Sustained period of walking has made these cities adopt a positive lifestyle, improve productivity." That was borne out by the survey finding. The primary reason for taking up walking in both Mumbai and Delhi was on doctor's orders—50 per cent and 65 per cent respectively. Other reasons for taking up the habit were help in controlling weight (42 per cent and 57 per cent respectively) and to reduce frequency of asthma attacks (10 per cent and 45 per cent respectively).

The effect of the habit is apparent: 47 per cent of Delhi's respondents said they felt calmer (for Mumbai, the figure was 43 per cent) while 35 per cent attributed higher self esteem as against 38 per cent in Mumbai. The sample size for the survey was 1,000 respondents in Delhi and Mumbai.