Regional News
November 27, 2008 08:42 PM
Chris Traber
When it comes to physical activity, even a bit is better than none at all.
York Region's public health department encourages residents who are going somewhere to go active.
An easy and effective way to include physical activity into your day is to incorporate it into things you are already doing.
‘Research shows that for every kilometre walked each day, the risk of obesity can decline by 4.8 per cent.’
Melding 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity into your day has many health benefits, including decreasing the risk of premature death, heart disease, obesity, high-blood pressure, adult onset of Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, depression and some cancers.
However, despite the many health benefits, finding time to fit physical activity into a busy and hectic lifestyle can be challenging.
To blend more physical activity into your daily lifestyle, consider using "active" transportation to get to where you need to go. Active transportation includes anything human powered.
The most common types of active transportation include walking, cycling, wheeling, rollerblading and skateboarding.
Research shows that for every kilometre walked each day, the risk of obesity can decline by 4.8 per cent.
More than half of all automobile trips are less than five kilometres and this is an ideal distance to use active transportation.
This winter, dress appropriately for weather conditions and consider using active transportation to walk your children to school instead of driving, walk to the nearest bus stop and take public transit to work or school.
Also recommended is to park your vehicle in a spot farther away from the shopping mall doors and enjoy the stroll. Start or join a workplace or community walking or running club.
Snowshoe or walk to a local market, food establishment or grocery store.
Using active transportation also helps reduce pollution caused by vehicle emissions.
Each automobile in Canada is responsible for emitting more than its weight in carbon dioxide each year.
A 1-per-cent reduction in automobile trips reduces motor vehicle air pollution emissions by 2 to 4 per cent.
For more information on the benefits of active transportation or to access online resources, visit
www.york.ca and follow the safety, healthy lifestyles links.
Call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653.