Health and wellness benefits of trails and greenways resources, articles, studies, fitness, maintenance, and management

Hosted by AmericanTrails.org

American Trails is focusing on the issue of improving health through outdoor recreation, along with many others in the trails community. As public agencies have "discovered" the problem of an increasingly sedentary and overweight America, it is even more important for trails activists to get involved. Read more...

Trails expenditures shown to reduce health-care costs

Walking as a way of life: benefits to seniors

Trails for Health: Promoting Healthy LIfestyles & Environments (pdf 100 kb)

25 Communities Begin Projects to Promote Active Living

More news and research on health and trails

Quotes and resources on health benefits of parks, trails, and open space

America's trails and wellness:a new partnership opportunities

Health and Wellness Benefits from Trails and Greenways Clearinghouse (pdf 508 kb)

How land use and transportation systems impact public health from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is a synthesis of the literature on the relationship between physical activity and community design. (635k pdf)

How land use and transportation systems impact public health: an annotated bibliography (635k pdf)

A Step in the Right Direction: The health benefits of hiking and trails (pdf 20 kb), from American Hiking Society

Resources on the relation of physical activity to good health, with an emphasis on trails and outdoor recreation.

Recent studies evaluate trails and health

Active Living Research supports research to identify environmental factors and policies with potential to increase levels of physical activity

Healthy Parks Healthy People: The Health Benefits of Contact with Nature in a Park Context; Parks Victoria (Australia), November 2002:

A Review of Current Literature

An Annotated Bibliography

Use of a Community Trail Among New and Habitual Exercisers: Preliminary Assessment (pdf 348 kb)

How Land Use and Transportation Systems Impact Public Health: An Annotated Bibliography (pdf 636kb)

Does the Built Environment Influence Physical Activity? from Transportation Research Board

Development, Reliability and Validity Testing of the Path Environment Audit Tool, presented at Active Living Research Conference, 2005 (pdf 424kb)

Environmental and Policy Determinants of Physical Activity in the United States

Promoting physical activity in rural communities: walking trail access, use, and effect

Awareness and use of community walking trails


	Trails can be an effective way to involve more Americans in regular physical activity

2008 Legislative and Policy Priorities from the National Recreation and Park Association

Congressman Sarbanes Introduces "Foundation for a Fit Nation" Act

National Park System Advisory Board reports on health and recreation

Hike for Discovery presented by Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

All about Trails and Health issues

Trails and Health Programs from Federal and State Agencies

Resources, presentations, and tools to help promote trails for fitness and community health

Healthy Challenges: America's health and fitness crisis creates an opportunity to promote trails and greenways; by Stuart Macdonald

Streets as trails for life: “Ciclovia” and “Car Free Sundays” programs; by Gil Penalosa

Innovative "Medical Mile" hailed by national trails leaders

Three articles on communities promoting trails for health

Step Up to Health: Community examples from NRPA

Community Health Promotion Handbook: Action Guides to Improve Community Health

Community Design and Transportation Policies: New Ways to Promote Physical Activity

Community Efforts, Community Health: Seven tips for creating successful health partnerships

For the Health Community: what you should know about trail and greenway building

U. S. Conference of Mayors adopts "Complete Streets"

Trails, places to exercise, streetlights can boost activity levels: University of North Carolina study

Planning Healthier Suburbs, Where Cars Sit Idle and People Get Moving, by Jane E. Brody

CA: Redding, creates Trails for Life! Collaborative to promote trail development

CA: Parks for Health explores how Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area can address health issues of surrounding African American and Latino communities

GA: Healthy People Atlanta is promoting trails as a way to improve the health of the citizens in Atlanta

ME :Healthy Maine Partnerships published a report on community health efforts, with several that include trail activities: October 2003 Healthy Maine Partnerships newsletter (pdf 576 kb)

ME: Healthy Maine Walks provides a central location for towns and local groups to register walks, which are made available for those interested in locating places to walk.

NJ: Meeting the Needs of New Jersey: Providing Access to Public Places for Recreation & Health (pdf 432 kb)

TX: Texas Department of Health Helping People Find the Trail to Physical Fitness

Aus:Encouraging Walking in Whitehorse, Australia

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	How to burn more calories when taking the dog for a walk

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