The health benefits of walking have long been understood, but the lives of hundreds of Melburnians and $30 million could be saved if more commuters ditched their car, a new study has found.
If 10 per cent of Melbourne’s car users included active transport in their daily commute, 89 lives would be saved and 295 new cases of disease would be prevented each year, according to new research from Deakin University.
That number grew to 272 fewer deaths and 903 fewer new cases of heart attack, stroke, bowel cancer breast cancer and diabetes if residents in outer suburbs were as active as those in the inner city.
The research, conducted by GP Margaret Beavis and Population Health Professor Marj Moodie, found that people living in the inner city were six times more likely to get sufficient physical activity from travel compared to their counterparts in suburban council areas including Cardinia, Manningham, Maroondah, Hume, Brimbank and Frankston.
“Commuting makes regular exercise easy – no need for a separate trip to the gym,” Dr Beavis said.
“Using these options rather than driving might add 10 or 15 minutes to the commute, but it is an easy way to improve health.”
The study cited World Health Organisation research that showed 30 minutes of daily exercise reduces premature death rates by up to 22 per cent and the risk of diabetes, cancer, stroke and heart disease.
“Even walking qualifies as meeting the guidelines; exercise doesn’t need to be vigorous to be beneficial,” Dr Beavis said.
Financial benefits were also plentiful, with the study predicting the health sector could save up to $12.2 million. Conservative modelling, which valued human life at three months’ pay, revealed that $22.9 million in lost productivity could also be saved.
The report attributed the outer suburbs’ low active transport levels to reduced public transport infrastructure and a lower density of destinations, making car use the only option for most trips.
Dr Beavis said that government infrastructure such as public transport and bike paths needed to be improved in order to make active travel options more accessible.
“There are so many benefits for people if they can cycle, walk or use public transport for travel,” Dr Beavis said, “But first they need to have that choice.”
“It is important for long term health impacts to be factored into urban planning,” she said. “There will be huge savings in the end.”
University student Elizabeth Johnson regularly enjoys the health benefits of walking for transport.
“I walk everywhere,” she said. “A lot of what I do is incidental to whatever I’m doing for the day.”
Ms Johnson walks to class as well as social events.
“I walked from Fitzroy to Blackburn one day after a breakfast date with my sister just because it was a beautiful day,” she said.