Recent studies warning people of the hazards of driving are prescribing public transportation as an antidote to the risks traffic poses to health and the environment.
Many public health advocates recommend 10,000 steps per day to maintain physical fitness.
Public transit is an excellent way to help reach that number. It automatically increases the amount of walking that most Los Angelenos do in a typical day.
There is a Metro stop within a half-mile radius of most residents’ homes in Los Angeles County, so those who choose to use public transportation round-trip can achieve around 2,500 steps - the rough equivalent of one mile - of additional daily walking exercise.
Bike the cycle: Go Metro
Combining bicycling with public transit is another important component of the Metro Fit campaign. Use of bicycles on the Metro system extends travel opportunities significantly, allowing people to cover more ground and increase aerobic exercise.
Metro Buses include bike racks, and no permits are required to bring bikes onboard Metro trains. Some limits on bikes do apply during rush hours on certain rail lines, but there are no restrictions on weekends and holidays. Several hundred miles of bike paths are available within Los Angeles County, with more planned. Go to Bikes on the Metro System
Take the first step: Go Metro
Health-conscious residents can also take the “Metro Stair Challenge” utilizing Metro Red Line subway steps to increase heart rates and help improve cardiovascular health. Subway portal steps range from about 60 to 200 steps, with Wilshire/Vermont Metro Red Line Station having the most: 324 steps.
Surveys say: Go Metro
Studies reveal that Angelenos are not getting nearly enough physical exercise on a daily basis. According a study released by UCLA researchers in August 2004, 41 percent of county residents get no more than 10 minutes of continuous exercise each week, which is lower than the 30 minutes a day, five days per week that is recommended by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[See UCLA study> "Physical inactivity and overweight among Los Angeles County adults":Yancey AK, Wold CM, McCarthy WJ, Weber MD, Lee B, Simon PA, Fielding JE. Aug. 27, 2004.]
An Atlanta survey released in June 2004 by Georgia Tech found that how much time people spend driving has a great impact on whether they are obese. Driving time, in fact, had a greater effect on weight than gender, ethnicity, education or income. The survey found that, for every extra 30 minutes commuters drove each day, they had a three percent greater chance of being obese than their peers who drove less.
[See Georgia Institute of Technology SMARTRAQ study: “Obesity Relationships with Community Design, Physical Activity, and Time Spent in Cars.”]
The Atlanta survey is particularly relevant to Los Angeles, where most residents spend much more than half an hour per day driving.
Forget gas: Go Metro
Public transit remains a highly attractive, cost-effective alternative to driving. Metro has found that L.A. County commuters who switch from solo driving to public transportation, carpools or vanpools save more than $4,000 per year in commuting costs.
[See Metro News Release March 27, 2007 >'Gas Prices Leaving You Speechless?' campaign)
Keywords: Fitness
Last Revised: Wednesday June 22, 2011
