A walk will take more effort than a step on the gas pedal, but it can accentuate the details of life in a way that can't be done from a car.

 And the health advantages are hard to beat.

 Wendy Bumgardner, a walking guide at About.com, said people ideally should walk 30 to 60 minutes a day. She said regular walking can decrease risk of heart disease, certain cancers and stroke, and it can help control blood sugar.

 "It's sort of like the miracle cure that nobody wants to do," Bumgardner said.

 Linda Pennington, a music teacher at Garrettford Elementary School in Drexel Hill , often walks the 21/2 miles to work from her Lansdowne home.

 "Now that the gas prices are so high, I'm kind of rebelling against using the car," said Pennington, 59. "It's a good walk, and I always feel energized when I do it. It just gives you the lift that you need for the day."

 Philadelphia is the nation's fifth-most-walkable major city, according to Walkscore.com. Philly received a score of 74 out of 100, which put it in the category of "Very Walkable," where "it's possible to get by without owning a car," the Web site said. But Center City and some of its surrounding neighborhoods scored so well that the site called them each a "walker's paradise," with a score of 90 or above.

 For commuters thinking of starting to walk to work, Bumgardner suggests wearing running shoes and carrying dress shoes if necessary.

 "Shoe comfort makes all the difference in the world," Bumgardner said. "Many women will think they can walk in anything."

 Bumgardner said two other important factors for walkers to consider are what to carry and where to get a drink of water along the way.

 "Everyone needs to add more walking," Bumgardner said. "It's simply what we have to do to keep our bodies in working order. Modern life often keeps us from doing it."

— Joshua Mellman

WALKING

Walking casually, you might burn 50 to 100 calories per mile, or about 75 percent of that soda you have afterward. You need to walk 100 miles to burn two pounds (7,000 calories). To burn more, carry more weight — but not in your hands; there’s no need to tax your wrists like that. Get a good ergonomic backpack and carry some added weight for added resistance and added calorie-burning.

— Kimberly Garrison