By Stephanie Daly

Take a look around and you will see people walking, everywhere. Whether they are moseying down the street, rushing to get somewhere or causing gridlock at major intersections, Boston is a walking city.

Some students said they use walking as their main source of transportation.

“I know after the first day or two my legs were sore after all the walking,” said Brendan Ratner, a freshman business major.

So what does all this walking make Bostonians healthier?

Professor Jamie Musler, program director of the athletic training department, said walking is an exercise which “as long as [it’s] at a pace that elevates the heart rate, it has a lot of benefits that are important.”

Musler said walking increases heart rate, which strengthens the heart therefore reducing the risk of heart attacks and development of diabetes. He said walking is also good for the brain because “it increases blood flow, improving cognitive function.”

In a 2002 study by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, comparing walking for exercise prevalence in metropolitan areas, Boston was at the top of the list with 41.8 percent of people doing some sort of walking in a month. This was in comparison to other major cities like New York (37.8 percent), Chicago (36.3 percent), Dallas (40.6 percent) and Los Angeles (38.5 percent).

Many people use walking as their main source of exercise. Jill Franks, who lived in Boston for six years, said she enjoyed walking so much she created an online group at Meetup.com so she could walk regularly with fellow Bostonians.

“I felt like walking was natural for my body and it used the muscles I wanted to use. Walking hit a little bit of every muscle,” she said.

Alex Klein, a freshman undeclared major, said walking can make a difference in students’ daily life.

“I just feel like [by] walking all the time I’m outside and getting more physical exercise,” Klein said.

Musler said three 10-minute walks a day are equally beneficial to one 30-minute walk.

“The key is to make sure you do elevate your heart rate,” he said.

However, Musler said it’s hard to pinpoint surroundings -like living in a metropolitan area like Boston- as the only factor affecting people’s overall health.

“Where people live has a huge effect on health in general, but there are so many factors there that you can’t just pin it down to living in the city,” Musler said. “If you are walking and it’s built into your life there are going to be certain benefits to that.”

However, Professor Marie Corkery, from the Physical Therapy department, said she feels that living in a city can impact a person’s health because there are “great benefits as far as walking” goes.

“Citizens live in proximity to the supermarket” and other important locations, she said. “It can make a difference living in a city in terms of having a healthy lifestyle.”

According to a study, done by The Boston Foundation, between 10 and 15 percent of workers in Boston walk to their job everyday.

Franks, however, said she doesn’t think a leisurely walk down the street is enough exercise.

“People need to be committed to being healthy,” she said.