- Physical activity encourages healthy growth and development and helps to maintain a healthy weight, improving muscular strength, endurance and flexibility.
- Travelling actively builds exercise into the daily routine. It is recommended that 5 – 18 year olds get 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise every day.
- Exercise can help to reduce anxiety and stress.
- Short car journeys, like travelling to school, create the most pollution.
Regular aerobic exercise is known to cut the risk of heart disease, type-two diabetes, all types of cancer, high blood pressure and obesity, and evidence shows that New Zealand communities with higher numbers of people cycling and walking, especially for transport purposes, have better health profiles than those in less active neighbourhoods.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency: Benefits of investing in cycling in New Zealand communities (2015)