Active living is a way of integrating physical activity into your daily routine whether for function, such as walking to the grocery store, or for recreation, like playing in the park.  Active transportation involves using other means of transportation outside of a personal vehicle to get to a destination, including walking, biking or transit.  If you are just starting out with walking and biking for transportation, you don’t have to surrender your car immediately.  It’s okay to start small, committing yourself to commuting to work by foot, bike or transit just one day per week for one month, two days per week the next and so on.  The more you do it, the easier it will be and you can feel good for the actions that you are taking to improve the health of both yourself and the environment.  Even if you are only doing short bursts of activity, such as a 10-minute walk, this can add up to help you reach your 150 minutes of physical activity needed each week. 

Here are some easy and fun ways to incorporate more activity into your day:

• Commute to work
• Run errands by foot or bike
• Start a walking or biking group in your workplace or neighborhood
• Recreational walk / bike ride
• Walk or bike to school
• Take a walk or bike in the park
• Walk a dog
• Explore your city outside of a car
• Take transit - the walk or bike to and from destinations will add up

 

• Safety Tips for Bicyclists and Pedestrians
• Tips for Bicycle Commuting
• Bicycle Safety Videos
  

 

Get there by Foot: Calculate the Walkability of Your Neighborhood
       http://www.walkscore.com/

Get there by Bike: Chattanooga Bicycle Routes and Lanes
       http://www.bikechattanooga.org/LinkedDocuments/TPO%20Draft%20Map.pdf

Get there by Bus: Chattanooga Regional Area Transit Authority
       http://www.carta-bus.org/

For Statewide Recommendations: Tennessee Smart Commute
       http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/smartcommute/