More Advocacy Resources

Resources and Library:

Health & Fitness

Photo of family hiking

American Trails is focusing on the issue of improving health through outdoor recreation, along with others in the trails community. With an increasingly sedentary and overweight population, it is vital for trails activists to get involved. Read why trails are so important for America's health...

Increasing Physical Activity through Community Design
Walking as a way of life: benefits to seniors
Physical fitness may be as good for the brain as it is for the body in old age, a new study says
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: the relationship between physical activity and community design (pdf 635k pdf)
Trails expenditures shown to reduce health-care costs
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
The impact of aging populations on outdoor recreation
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 and 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
Trails, places to exercise, streetlights can boost activity levels: University of North Carolina study
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

East Bay Regional Park District Trails Challenge promotes close-to-home activity
“Get on the Trail" with Friends of the Smokies and Covenant Health
Peninsula State Park "Like to Hike" Program encourages health
Trek Ten Trails Program get kids and adults involved in outdoor activities
Health, Recreation, and our National Parks: contributing to a healthier nation
AARP and National Recreation and Park Association promoting benefits of walking for people over 50 with a walking program for park and recreation agencies
Helping Kids Stay Active: a Community Checklist
Blue and You Fitness Challenge is a physical activity contest for employees or members of organizations
Resources, presentations, and tools to help promote trails for fitness and community health
Planning for Healthy Places with Health Impact Assessments: a guide for conducting health impact assessments

photo of San Antonio River Walk

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

Roger Bell reviews Richard Louv's new book, The Nature Principle
Healthy Communities Interest Group is sponsored by American Planning Association
Health and Community Fitness Status of the 50 Largest Metropolitan Areas for 2011
Childhood Obesity Task Force Unveils Action Plan: are trails part of the solution
Tapping in to America’s Great Play Spaces: encouraging physical activity on public lands
The Built Environment: Designing Communities to Promote Physical Activity in Children
Rise in Scooters and Power Wheelchairs Could Increase Risk of Obesity
Video of Ciclovia ("Streets for Life") in Bogotá, Colombia
In Mexico City, bicycles rule the Sunday streets
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
Healthy Challenges: America's health and fitness crisis creates an opportunity to promote trails and greenways; by Stuart Macdonald

Greenville, SC trail system is key to livability and the fight against obesity
Community Action Plan for Life: Oakville, Ontario, Canada (pdf 9.8 mb)
Vision for the Camden Active Trail Network, New Jersey (pdf 6.6 mb)
"Shasta Living Streets" supports community values for health
Streets as trails for life: “Ciclovia” and “Car Free Sundays” programs; by Gil Penalosa
YMCA's Community Trailhead project promotes health through trails
Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation promotes activity on the Schuylkill River Trail
Sterling, Illinois trails support goals of CGH Health Foundation
Logansport Memorial Hospital takes lead in trails for health
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"
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)
PA: Underground Railroad Bicycle Route provides opportunity for Center for Minority Health
TX: Texas Department of Health Helping People Find the Trail to Physical Fitness
Aus: Encouraging Walking in Whitehorse, Australia