America’s Car-Driven Society Bad for Health
May 29, 2009 by Liz Lewis
Filed under Exercise, Fitness, Happy Living Tip
Driving might be the American way of life, but it’s a way of life that’s simply not good for your health nor the environment. The more we drive, the less we walk and the more difficult it becomes to get the recommended 10,000 steps a day to maintain wellness.
In fact, according to Lawrence Frank of the University of British Columbia, “Every additional 30 minutes spent in a car each day translates into a 3 percent greater chance of being obese,” he said.
Unfortunately, many American cities are not made for walking. As David Goldberg of Smart Growth America (a coalition of nonprofit groups that works to improve town and city planning) says “We have designed cities to suppress walking” But times have changed and now the cities need to look at ways to move away from car culture and focus more on the health of their residents. This can be done through urban renewal projects and also through education.
In the meantime, here’s a few ways to get those daily 10,000 steps…
- use public transport wherever possible and get off a stop or two before you need to and walk the rest of the way
- don’t aim for the closest car park at the shopping mall. Instead, park further away and walk.
- do a lap or two of the shopping mall before going into the supermarket or department store.
Of course, you could always move to one of these more pedestrian friendly cities.
