The active you
The active you - your journey, your way
We’re committed to encouraging and enabling you to travel actively wherever and whenever you can, whether it’s walking, wheeling, cycling, running, or scooting, particularly for short journeys. The active you can walk, run or wheel to work, school, shops or the bus stop rather than automatically grabbing the car keys. Building regular exercise into your day through active travel is good for your mental and physical health and means fewer cars on the road and less air pollution. If you can’t travel actively for your whole journey, active travel can also be combined with other forms of travel. You could park further from your destination or get off the bus a stop early and walk the rest of the way.
Why active travel is important
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Hear what local people have to say:
Active travel involves making journeys by physically active means, such as walking, cycling, wheeling, or scooting. The benefits of being active are well known and help to:
- keep you physically and mentally fit
- reduce road congestion
- improve air quality
- save you money, particularly given the current price of fuel
- manage stress
- improve your sleep
The Department for Health and Social Care recommends adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity every week or a combination of both. Travelling actively can really help hit these targets. Active travel also reduces traffic congestion, improving local air quality and safeguarding our environment. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently published a report looking into how cycling and walking can play a crucial role in improving the environment. The report states, “The health benefits from active travel are substantial and their potential to help move towards carbon-free mobility is increasingly recognised”.
Why not explore the local area on foot, bike or scooter. If the active you has school age children, try leaving the car at home and walk with them to school, or if you live further away then park your car a few roads back from the school gates and walk the remaining journey instead.
Tips and advice to help the active you walk, cycle or scoot
Before setting off on your active journey it’s important to plan ahead and identify a suitable route. This is even more important when you’re thinking of walking it, cycling it or scooting it with your child - often the quickest route to school is not the safest!
Download our map of the existing cycle networks across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Through various programmes, such as our Transforming Cities Fund projects, we are working hard to provide safer, more direct routes for people walking, cycling and scooting.
Pick a route with safe paths and controlled crossing points. Even if this adds a few minutes on top of your journey, plan in this extra time and give yourself the peace of mind knowing that you/your child will be safer crossing roads.
Tips to help the active you plan your active journey