HEALTH AND FITNESS: Energetic transportation is a win for our well being, planet’s | Options

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Since Earth Day was last week, this is a good time to consider the impact we are having on our environment and what we can do to reduce that impact. The good news is that there are things we can do that are good for our health and the health of our planet. An example is active transportation, which includes walking, cycling, and other physically active ways of moving from place to place.

Active transportation has important environmental, health, and economic benefits for individuals and communities. Promoting active modes of transport can reduce pollution, increase physical activity, and benefit both people and communities economically. In some areas, active transport can completely replace the use of motor vehicles. Usually, however, physical activity can be combined with cars or public transport to replace parts of travel.

Significant and accumulated evidence shows that automobile use is a leading cause of air pollution. This includes greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulates released by internal combustion engines and industry. This has been linked to climate change and health problems, including pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases, which lead to 200,000 deaths each year.

The transportation sector is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the United States. Therefore, physically active modes of transport that replace the use of automobiles can have significant effects on air pollution and health. It is estimated that even a small decrease in vehicle miles, a measure of vehicle use, could reduce particulate and greenhouse gas production by increasing active transport.

In addition to the environmental benefits, increasing active transport has clear health benefits. As would be expected, prolonged car commuting is associated with an increased risk of obesity, and more active commuting is associated with a lower risk of obesity. In addition to affecting body weight, people who use physically active means of transport have a lower risk of diabetes and high blood pressure and death from cardiovascular disease.

People who are actively moving get an average of 12 to 15 minutes of physical activity per day, and 30% meet the recommendation of 30 minutes per day. Given that more than a quarter of trips are less than 1 mile and most are less than 5 miles, most people could replace at least some motorists with walking or cycling.

The cost of implementing active transport is often cited as a reason not to. However, individuals and communities can benefit economically from increased active transportation. Transportation is the second largest expense for American families and can have a greater impact on low-income households. Given that active transportation is almost always cheaper than using a car, this could help many people and families make ends meet.

Municipalities that develop infrastructures and strategies to promote active transport benefit from direct and indirect advantages. These benefits include higher scores for residential and commercial real estate, as well as the fact that people who walk or cycle are more likely to visit businesses on their route. Depending on the location and type of project, the implementation of active transport can have a positive cost-benefit ratio and promote job creation.

Given the environmental, health, and economic benefits, active transportation is a win-win-win for our community. Across the country, cities and towns are implementing infrastructure and policies to make them safer and more convenient for pedestrians and cyclists. Since everyone benefits from a community that supports active transportation for work and leisure, we should take steps in that direction.