See the difference...
Often the car is the automatic choice for commuters. The Walktober Workplace Challenge prompts the workforce to think of opportunities to leave the car at home and walk.
There are so many good reasons to walk— it is the most environmentally-friendly mode of transport, costs nothing, creates healthier, happier individuals, and reduces pressure on our transport system.
By changing even part of our travel behaviour there are many ways we make a difference.
Reducing car use saves money by cutting petrol, parking and car running costs, helps to reduce traffic congestion and pressure on car parking, and benefits the environment by cutting down on noise and air pollution, including reducing carbon dioxide emissions which contribute to global warming.
Walking is one of the best ways we can get our dose of healthy activity. Being active helps people perform better by alleviating stress and anxiety, improving sleep and enhancing self-perception. As well as helping to control weight and decreasing the risk of developing illness such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and stroke.
For one week in October, the Walktober Workplace Challenge encourages commuters to add in as many walks as possible to their commute and working day, by replacing short car trips, getting off public transport earlier, or walking to meetings.
Save time and money
Economic benefits
Walking is the most convenient and least costly form of physical activity. Walking to work, school, college, public transport or to the shops are great ways to include walking in your day.
Local businesses can experience economic improvement when people
use local shops within walking distance of their home or work.
Businesses that encourage staff to walk to work benefit from increased productivity as a result of improved employee fitness and mental health. Staff who walk are generally more punctual and take less sick days due to improved health.
More people walking also reduces stress on health services and road maintenance costs.
www.transport.qld.gov.au/Home/Safety/Road/Pedestrians/Benefits/
Walking is an affordable form of transportation. Car ownership is expensive. When safe facilities are provided for pedestrians, people can walk more and spend less on transportation, meaning they have more money to save or spend on other things.
www.walkinginfo.org/why/benefits_economic.cfm
Cost of car trips
According to the RACV, it costs the average driver in Melbourne over $8,900 each year to run a small car (or up to $172 per week). Per RACV 2008 Vehicle Operating Costs.
Although a car might travel faster, the process of negotiating traffic, finding and paying for parking can make the time devoted to the trip much longer than walking or cycling. For example, some parents arrive at schools up to 40 minutes early in order to get a good parking spot; however, as many children live within one to two kilometres of their school, the car trip can end up being more than double the normal walking time.
Mental health and wellbeing
Building communities
Walking and cycling communities are closer knit, as more people know and look out for their neighbours. The more people out on the streets walking and cycling, the safer a community feels. Walking, cycling or using public transport to get to school helps children know their neighbourhood better and find their way in the local area. It also allows them to socialise and develop independence and confidence. But it's not just for children. Sustainable transport can improve everyone's knowledge of local transport options.
For every cyclist on the road, that's potentially a car off the network. Younger children who walk or cycle with adults can build up their road safety skills, so they will be better prepared when they start travelling on their own. Children under 12, with people over 18 supervising them, are allowed to ride on the footpath.
Physical activity - it's important
www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/hav/articles.nsf/pages/Physical_activity_its_important?OpenDocument
Vitamin D
Another good thing about being outside walking is Vitamin D.
We all need vitamin D to develop strong healthy bones. The best form of vitamin D for your body is the UV radiation in sunlight. Sensible sun protection does not put people at risk of vitamin D deficiency but there are times when it’s actually important to be in the sun without protection.
It is estimated fair skinned people can get enough vitamin D from 10 – 20 minutes of sunlight on their face, arms and hands before 10am or after 3pm on most days of the week in spring, in Melbourne.
www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/hav/articles.nsf/pages/Osteoporosis?OpenDocument
www.rch.org.au/emplibrary/ccch/CPR_May05.pdf
Pedestrian vs Passenger environment
Concentrations of harmful chemicals such as carbon monoxide and benzene are higher inside a car than at the side of the road. Therefore, drivers and passengers are exposed to three to four times more pollutants than pedestrians, and to twice that of cyclists on the same road. Choosing sustainable transport options means less car traffic on our roads.
http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/doi/internet/ict.nsf/headingpagesdisplay/travelsmarttravel+planningtravelsmart+=+travel+planning
If you are worried about traffic fumes, pedestrians actually absorb lower levels of pollutants from traffic fumes than car drivers (Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1998).
Travelling to work by car can expose you to more air pollution than if you travelled by train, bus, bicycle or walked.
www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/~/media/ProgramsandProjects/PhysicalActivity/Attachments/active_transport_fact.ashx
Your physical health...
How much physical activity should I be doing?
You don’t have to be training for a marathon to obtain these health benefits. To maintain health and reduce health risk, health professionals and researchers recommend that the minimum amount of physical activity you need to do to enhance your health is at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days. (National Physical Activity Guidelines for Australians). This time can be broken up into segments such as three lots of ten minutes of activity.
www.beactive.com.au/downloads/National%20Guidelines/Adult%20Brochure%20Final.pdf
www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/hav/articles.nsf/pages/National_physical_activity_guidelines_for_adults?OpenDocument
It's often within walking distance…
About one third of all car trips are 3 km or less, about 10% are 1 km – a distance that could be easily walked in 10–15 minutes. 10 per cent of the trips made in urban areas are less than 1km while 30 per cent are less than 3km—ideal distances for walking.
By walking 15 minutes, you’ve covered approx 1.5 kilometres, and met 50% of your average daily requirement for physical activity (30 minutes on most days) and burned 75 calories (314 kilojoules).
Walk 15 minutes, twice a day – to work and home again, and you've burned 150 calories.
Walk 15 minutes, twice a day, 5 days a week – and you've met the physical activity recommendations and burned 750 calories.
Think about this. If you walk an extra 3 km a day, over a year you could be about 6 kg lighter!
Kilojoules and calories explained
We eat food to fuel our bodies for energy, growth and repair. Food energy is measured in kilojoules (kJ). The common term for this used to be calorie, but kilojoule is the term now accepted internationally. This unit of measurement allows us to talk about how much energy a food contains and how much energy is burned up during exercise.
When we regularly eat more energy than our body needs, the excess is stored as body fat. There are 35,000 kJ (or 7,000 calories) in each kg of body fat. So, to lose 1 kg in a certain time period you need to have your energy expenditure exceed your energy consumption by 35,000 kJs.
If you are looking to lose weight, a recommended rate of weight reduction is around 0.5 to 1kg per month.
www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/hav/articles.nsf/pages/Kilojoules_and_calories-explained?OpenDocument
http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/balancing-energy-and-out
