Why Walk and Bike? Physical and Mental Health

• Physical activity such as biking and walkinglowers the risk of early death, heart disease,stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure,and colon and breast cancers. (U.S. HHS)
• Active commuting has been positivelyassociated with physical fitness in men andwomen. (Gorden-Larsen, 2009)
• Physical activity helps children build andmaintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints,helps control weight, and improves self-imageand autonomy. (CDC)
• Regular exercise increases strength, improvesbalance, and prevents falls among older adults,helping maintain their independence. (CDC)
• The amount of time a person spends driving hasa greater impact on whether a person is obesethan other factors such as income, education,gender, or ethnicity. (Andersen & Schmidt,2004)
• Regularly walking and biking helps to preventweight gain, improves bone health, andimproves sleep quality. (CDC)
• Physically active adults have lower risk ofdepression and lower rates of declines withaging in thinking, learning, and judgment skills.(U.S. HHS)
• Regular physical activity appears to reducesymptoms of anxiety and depression forchildren and adolescents. (U.S. HHS)

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