Four out of five experts say walking is enough exercise.
Very wet weather is likely to persuade many regular cyclists and walkers to travel instead by car if they can. This is Bondi Junction after a storm hit Sydney.
David Moir/AAP
The relationship between weather and our travel choices is complicated. We can’t change the weather, but, with many other factors in play, good policy and design can reduce its impacts.
The ‘Bicycle Snake’ in Copenhagen separates pedestrians and cyclists, allowing both to navigate the city more safely.
Cycling Embassy of Denmark/DISSING+WEITLING
New analysis reveals just how little is spent on cycling and walking projects around Australia. No state’s spending on cycling is more than 1.5% of its road funding.
Little skates that ‘walk’ across the ocean floor show how fish brains evolved to pave the way for working legs.
Only in a few active travel strongholds, typically in the inner city, do Australian cycling and walking rates get close to those in Europe.
Andrew Robinson/Flickr
A comparison of Australian cities reveals cyclists and walkers are still very much a minority of commuters, despite the economic, health and environmental costs. Action on three fronts is needed.
Do not be derailed by news reports that exercise is bad for the heart. Taking more exercise is a New Year’s resolution to stick to. Exercise reduces risks of depression, cancers, heart disease, stroke and sudden death.
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The benefits of walking are widely promoted, but most Australian communities still aren’t walker-friendly. Young people, who rely heavily on walking to get around, are clear about what has to change.
A man taking stairs at Washington-Dulles International Airport in 2013.
Wikimedia Commons
Dropping old, bad habits is hard, but starting new, good ones may not be so difficult. Or so a recent study suggests. Read how a simple sign at an airport made a difference.
In Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, just over a third of dwellings are within 400 metres of a public transport stop with services every 30 minutes, but the proportions are much lower in other cities.
Angela Brkic/AAP
Governments, developers and urban planners all aspire to create liveable cities. Yet when it comes to Australian cities, the rhetoric and reality don’t quite match.
Staying physically active can play a big part in ageing well – and a well-designed neighbourhood helps with that.
Maylat/shutterstock
Our ageing population presents several social and economic challenges, particularly for the health sector. Physical activity can tackle many of these.
If you start running the same distance every day you’ll increase your base level of fitness, but you’ll plateau after a while.
from www.shutterstock.com.au
The way people move can give us a heads up on their mood or intention: it’s called biological motion. Technology called ‘point light displays’ is helping narrow down what unique movements imply.
Walking is free, easy and can get you from A to B - but does it “count” in terms of how much exercise we need?
from www.shutterstock.com.au
New research shows many good intentions for creating urban environments that promote good health were not carried through. The solutions start with engaging more closely with residents themselves.
A stroll through Sydney’s Marks Park and the nearby tourist attraction Sculptures by the Sea is a different experience if one knows the area’s brutal history.
Leah-Anne Thompson from www.shutterstock.com
From power walks to silly walks, we can use our movement to generate energy in a way that is unique to everyone. And that can be used to help secure our wearable technology.
Customers who arrive on foot, by bicycle or by public transport contribute significantly more to the restaurant trade than the business owners realise.
Mik Scheper/flickr
A new study shows that restaurateurs would be better off advocating for better public transport access to their precincts rather than for more parking.