Four thousand steps. 

That’s how many we’re supposed to take daily if we want to reduce our risk of dying, at least according to the largest study to date on the topic. Published last year in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the study likely came to many as a relief. 

After all, we no longer have to manage 10,000 steps a day in order to put extra distance between ourselves and the obituary page in this paper. 

But as the snow pounded our roads this weekend, I know many were feeling anything but relief. 

With Sullivan ranking near the bottom of health rankings for New York counties, much is made about the need for our residents to exercise more to combat our high rates of heart disease and diabetes — among other healthcare challenges — we all need those 4,000 steps. 

But getting them is unlikely unless something changes. 

Take the simple walk. 

Walking is the most popular form of exercise in America — the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says it’s how 30 percent of Americans incorporate fitness into their lives. It’s something most people can do without equipment or a facility, making it accessible to just about everyone ... most of the time.

But once the snow starts to fall, the opportunities to put in a simple walk in our part of the country become increasingly limited. There are few sidewalks in Sullivan County, and walking alongside the roadways is dangerous enough on a good day, treacherous once the shoulders are heaped with slush and snow. 

My investment in a treadmill during the pandemic makes me one of the lucky ones, a privileged set of people with enough room (and the spare funds) to set up an indoor exercise space for the winter months. 

What about those who don’t have that advantage? Or those who, like me, benefit from the mental health boost that comes from heading out of the house for a walk with a friend each day?

In some communities around the country, free exercise facilities have been erected by local governments to improve health outcomes for citizens. Of course, this creates a cost burden that may not be feasible for either our towns or our county, but don’t dismiss the idea out of hand. There are plenty of other innovative ways that communities have tackled the problem, including partnerships with private entities and taking a deeper look at the opportunities within government facilities. 

Might there be ways for our county or our towns to do just that? To find local businesses that have a conference room sitting empty that would make for a great place for residents to walk when the roads don’t offer that opportunity? To open up local school gyms for early morning walks or pick-up basketball games before people head off to work? To provide subsidies for a few seats in local yoga classes or free memberships at local gyms? 

These options all come at a cost, but there’s reason to believe there would be good return on the investment. 

Take research published in 2017 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that found that implementing low-cost, community-based exercise programs for middle-aged and older patients with type 2 diabetes dropped their risk of death from both diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Or consider a 2018 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health that found free access to leisure facilities and community outreach on inequalities in physical activity both increased overall population levels of physical activity and reduced inequalities.

There is no simple fix to our county’s health problems, but there are options out there. We just need to take the first step to find them.