THE EXERCISING CITY

Is public transport making Londoners unhealthy? This week, the Health Council have started a campaign highlighting that London city dwellers aren’t getting enough exercise. It seems that city types are more likely to make short journeys using public transport rather than walking. Which is true. It's so easy to whiz about London on the tube that sometimes you forget that, say, Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road stations are only about five minutes walk apart.

But using the tube doesn't equate to Londoners not exercising. If you ever see anyone on a train platform on a mobile phone, there's a good chance that they are exercising right there in front of you. Because, there's this little phone walk that people do: three steps forward, turn, five steps in the other direction, turn and repeat until the conversation ends.

I'm not sure if there's a name for this walk. It's very precise in its aimlessness - these are people who are really certain that they have nowhere to go, and they're doing their utmost to get there as quick as possible. It's kind of like waltzing, with those rigid steps there, except instead of whispering sweet nothings in your dance partner's ears you're shouting about nothing down the phone.

How much exercise city dwellers get depends primarily on the length of their phone conversations. The only variable factors are which tariff you're signed up for. The more free calls at the weekend you get - the more fit you'll be.