Link Between Walking, Cycling, and Health

I found an article on Sciencedaily.com titled Link Between Walking, Cycling, and Health. The study found that communities with more walkers and cyclists are healthier than those where people must rely on cars to get around. The researchers analyzed city- and state-level data from the United States and international data from 15 countries to study the relationship between "active travel" -- bicycling or walking rather than driving -- and physical activity, obesity and diabetes. Their results showed that more than half of the differences in obesity rates among countries is linked to walking and cycling rates, and that about 30 percent of the difference in obesity rates among states and cities is linked to walking and cycling rates. The study reinforces the need for U.S. cities to encourage more walking and cycling for daily travel by providing safe, convenient and attractive infrastructure, such as sidewalks, crosswalks, bike paths and lanes, and intersection modifications that protect pedestrians and cyclists. In the study researchers also suggest that infrastructure improvements should be combined with restrictions on car use, such as car-free zones, traffic calming in residential neighborhoods, reductions in motor vehicle speeds, and limited and more expensive car parking. This study reinforced what we are learning in this class and would be a great way to prove to the Winston-Salem community that greenways are a great option for our city.

This week I rode for an hour in the gym because it was a pretty hectic week and I only had time to ride at night. Yesterday I went skiing in Banner Elk, North Carolina. It was my first time and it was so much fun! It was really tough and it rained the entire time, but I would love to go skiing again! My legs are very sore today from 4 hours of skiing, but I had a great weekend!