Physical Activity: How To Make It The Norm

I just returned from a trip to Europe. Something that struck me when I lived there and of which I was reminded is the emphasis on physical activity. There is both a cultural awareness around being active as well as a solid infrastructure in place to support it. This is an approach America might do well to emulate.

One of the most features that most encourages physcial activity is the infrastructure in place that encourages human powered travel. Big cities as well as small towns in Europe are all very walkable and bike-able. There are always great sidewalks and bikepaths, as well as plenty of benches for sitting and bike racks for parking. Shopping is not located outside of town in malls, shopping centers, or mega-stores, but rather in the town or city center and often in small shops where they are easily reachable by foot or by bike. This set up is a wealth of positives. It keeps people moving, keeps the town centers vibrant and alive, and cuts down on the emissions that would otherwise be emitted by driving to a destination.

I also notice that this creates a culture of physical activity. That is to say, when a European has had a long week at the office without much activity they often will prioritize making up for it on the weekend. They will actually say that they want to take a bike ride, or go on a hike, or walk into to town and leave the car in the driveway. It is literally ingrained into them that too little movement is something to be made up for. And why not – given all the options that are available to them, it is not only natural to think that way, but also easy to act on.

Bottom line, this is something that we should take a look at here in America. We are starting to see things happen but we often don’t have quite enough options to really make it easy to be active. And without these boosts, it is very difficult for the average american to get the amount of physical activity that they need in a day. Programs like City-Bike are a step in the right direction, we just now need to build the momentum.