Walking is an activity that has many different levels of intensity, competition and venue. The one main problem that I see is that although walking is a good activity and available to all, only a small slice of the population is shown in advertising and media as walkers. For good reasons, many women have gravitated to walking. I have subscribed and read a number of magazines and news articles that report on walking, and I hardly ever see a representation of someone like me - that is, male.

Usually, the stories and pictures are all of women, approximately ages 25 to 55, having a nice stroll, and most often talking with a friend, seemingly enjoying a nice walk in the park. While this is probably the largest demographic group, how about a little diversity? Just as minorities have rightly asked for representation in TV, advertising, etc., men need to see role models and know that walking is a good activity for them, too.

In conversations that I have had with representatives of a major walking publication, I've been told that they really see themselves more as a women's lifestyle magazine than really a voice of a walking movement. (Why else do you think you see so many articles about putting on make-up in these magazines?) This creates two problems. One is that you'll never see pictures of men (or articles really geared toward men, unless it's to increase women's knowledge of men's health, etc.). The second is that you will only see articles focused on "Walking gives me peace of mind and makes me feel good," with no articles that would be more interesting to men. I've been told that whereas many walkers would be interested in finding out more about competition and training (areas that men might be more interested in), many women get very angry that it's even mentioned in "their" magazine. "We do this so we don't have to hear about that, so we don't want to see any of it" they seem to say. So much for open mindedness and letting everyone play.

So guys, we have a place here, too. Get out there and be counted.

Ken Mattsson, M.S., has written and lectured in the personal development field since 1990. In addition to his work as a walking coach and instructor for organizations such as the Cambridge Sports Union, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, and the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society, he also helps people reach their professional goals as a career development consultant with Resonare Consulting (http://www.resonare.com) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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