By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Most of the world walks a great deal more than those of us in the United States – especially those of us living in big cities.  

There is no doubt that walking is extremely helpful from both a physical standpoint and as a stress reducer. That is why I am so excited about the new report from The American Journal of Public Health that the number of transit walkers increased from 7.5 million to 9.6 million since 2001.

It gets even better.

The number of people walking thirty minutes or more went from 2.6 million to 3.4 million.

The best news is more people getting active and not just going to the gym but making it a part of every day.