Walking and cycling: local measures to promote walking and cycling as forms of travel or recreation (UK)
In November 2012 the UK public health body the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which develops clinical guidelines for the NHS, released guidelines putting cycling and walking at the centre of efforts to improve the nation’s health, saying they should become the norm for short journeys and should be encouraged throughout local communities.
The guidelines outline the role physical activity can play in improving health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, with NICE saying that “local authorities, schools and workplaces should introduce ways to enable their communities to be more physically active and change their behaviours.”
According to NICE, the benefits of regular physical exercise include cutting the risk of conditions including stroke, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease by as much as 50 per cent.
However, nearly two thirds of men (61 per cent) and almost three quarters of women (71 per cent) aged 16+ do not get enough exercise.
It’s a similar picture among children, where only half of boys and one third of girls aged 2 to 10 years meeting recommended daily level of physical activity.
That lack of physical exercise is leading to an obesity epidemic which NICE likens the threat to that posed by smoking, which in turn will lead to a deterioration in the nation’s health as well as placing further strain on healthcare resources.
The Guidelines recommend coordinated action to identify and address the barriers that may be discouraging people from walking and cycling more often or at all, including:
- Implementing town-wide programs to promote cycling for both transport and recreational purposes. These could include cycle hire schemes, car-free events or days, providing information such as maps and route signing, activities and campaigns that emphasise the benefits of cycling, fun rides, and others.
- Ensuring walking routes are integrated with accessible public transport links to support longer journeys. Signage should give details of the distance and/or walking time, in both directions, between public transport facilities and key destinations.
- Developing and implementing school travel plans that encourage children to walk or cycle all or part of the way to school, including children with limited mobility. Pupils should be involved in the development and implementation of these plans.
- Ensuring walking and cycling are considered alongside other interventions, when working to achieve specific health outcomes in relation to the local population (such as a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes, or the promotion of mental wellbeing).
The guidelines and background information are available on the NICE website.
http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH41
Media coverage
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/nov/28/deadly-cycling-sitting-watching-tv
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