Improving Kirksville's Health by Walking and Biking

When you think of bicycling, what do you think of? Some may reminisce about riding their bikes to the drugstore on the corner to buy penny candy. Some may think of their own bike, dusty in the garage from years of disuse. But for others, the bicycle may be a thing of the future, not the past, as a tool for fitness, fun and function.

We’ve heard the scary statistics – 34% of U.S. adults are obese and 17 % of children and adolescents are obese. Individuals who are obese are at higher risk for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high cholesterol. One of the easiest ways to prevent obesity and its complications is through regular exercise, such as walking or biking. Not only are they good exercise, but walking and biking are fun ways to spend time outdoors, relax and spend time with friends and family. And many of us already use walking or biking for travel, be it around a shopping center, to our neighbor’s house, or even to school or work.

So why is it that most travel in Kirksville takes place by car? Of course, in rural areas, car travel is very useful for traveling 30 miles to the next town, or out to Grandma’s farm. But for travel within the city, biking and walking are possible alternatives. In 2007, 85% of Adair County residents drove to work, while only 7.5% walked.

“More hike/bike trails” was the number one response when Kirksville residents were asked what their recreation priorities were in a 2002 Parks and Recreation survey. Without safe routes for walking or bicycling, most people would rather drive than face treacherous potholes or risk a car-bike collision. To make this community healthier and more active, the pavement needs to support the people, and vice versa. As more trails and bike lanes are built, more people can use them. And the more people that use them, the more people who will advocate that they be expanded.

The benefits that the entire community gains from biking and hiking trails are enormous. For the individual who uses the trail, they get all the benefits mentioned above: relaxation, fun, free exercise, and an alternate way to travel. But even if you never step foot on a trail, you still reap its benefits.

A community’s economy is boosted when its residents use alternate transportation. People spend less money on gasoline, so they have more money to spend on the fun stuff, like shops and restaurants. Safe routes for bicycling and walking also allow groups such as youth, the elderly or low-income residents to travel the town. Finally, the saying “There’s safety in numbers” is true. Communities with high pedestrian and bicycling traffic typically have lower crime, due to increased numbers of people outside who can watch out for each other.

So now, if you’re thinking that including a few bicycling or walking trips into your normal routine sounds like a good idea, what next? First, you can dust off your bike and enjoy some of Kirksville’s existing trails; check out a map on the Kirksville City website. Hopefully Kirksville is on the path to a healthier community.

Sources:

Center of Disease Control and Prevention. (August 2008). Preventing Chronic Diseases: Investing Wisely in Health. Retrieved February 9, 2010 from www.cdc.gov/NCCDPHP/publications/factsheets/Prevention/pdf/obesity.pdf.

Kirksville Connection (2006, November-December). Results from Parks and Recreation Survey. 8(2).

Missouri Census Data Center. (2008). ACS Profile Reports 3 year estimates, 2005 to 2007, Adair County, Missouri. Missouri Census Data Center. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/broker?_PROGRAM=websas.acsprofile.sas&_SERVICE=sasapp&year=2007&period=3yr&geoid1=05000US29001&geoid2=04000US29&subject=e&print=on.

National Center for Health Statistics. (April 2006). Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 2003-2004. Retrieved February 9, 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/overweight/overwght_child_03.htm.

PedNet Coalition. (2008a). Benefits: Health. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from http://pednet.org/benefits/health.asp.

PedNet Coalition. (2008b). About us: Mission and Vision. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from http://pednet.org/about/mission.asp.

PedNet Coalition. (2008c). Benefits: What’s in it for you. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from http://pednet.org/benefits/.

Wiggs, I., Brownson, R. C., & Baker, E. A. (2008, October). If you build it, they will come: Lessons from developing walking trails in rural Missouri. Health Promotion Practice. 2008(9.4).