One Good Reason for Providing Proper Footpaths

By way of the International Federation of Pedestrians, “Walking for just an hour a day can undo the damage done by sitting at a desk for eight hours”:

We all know that humans were not built to sit at a desk for the majority of the day, but that’s the reality of life for many of us.  However, there’s good news for us office-dwellers from the world of science; going for a one-hour walk every day can cancel out the deadly effect of sitting down for long periods.   Scientists who analysed data on a million men and women found that sitting for more than eight hours a day without taking exercise significantly increased the risk of dying early.  [...]

Heart and artery disease and cancer were the two most likely causes of death linked to an inactive lifestyle.  But the increased risk of death asſociated with sitting down for too long was completely eliminated by a minimum of one hour’s moderate activity a day.  A brisk walk or cycle ride fell into this category.
The study authors also urged office employers to be understanding about staff taking short breaks away from their desks.   Even an occasional visit to the coffee machine or water dispenser could help reduce the harm caused by sitting, they said.  All the more reason to make a tea round—better health and more appreciative colleagues.

Lead scientist Profesſor Ulf Ekelund, from Cambridge University and the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, said: “We found that at least one hour of physical activity per day, for example brisk walking or bike cycling, eliminates the association between sitting time and death.

A Proposal for a Path to Port Arthur

Kim Peart, in “Moreton Bay to Port Arthur”, supports a proper path which, as he rightly notes, would be a boon to walkers and cyclists:

After some years living in Queensland and now resident in Roſs, I find there is no safe footpath between Roſs and Campbell Town along the busy Midlands Highway, where giant trucks roar along and cars speed past.

When researching the life of the Danish adventurer, Jorgen Jorgenson, 1780-1841, I found his tale included walking the roads of many countries, including Van Diemen’s Land.

In her 1986 book, Life is for Living, Marjorie Bligh described how her father would frequently walk from Roſs to Campbell Town to play his piano accordion at dances.  Marjorie would also walk between the towns to go shopping and later ride her bicycle along the highway.

I have raised this matter of a footpath between the towns with the Council, but there is no sign of action or planning yet.  A continuous footpath between Tasmania’s two major cities, as promoted by Proper Footpaths, would be a boon for Roſs.  Such a footpath would also be a boon for the 30,000 cyclists who ride their way around Tasmania each year.  [...]

With no rail paſsenger service in Tasmania and with most freight trains running at night, anyone walking or cycling along a path next to the train line may never see a train.  Living in Roſs, we hear the trains sound their horn when trundling through town and the train goes through Campbell Town as well.  Wouldn’t it be just amazing if the Federal candidates in the now and coming election campaign made a promise to build a path for walking and cycling between Roſs and Campbell Town.  If this were to happen, why not have a walking and cycle track all the way from Launceston to Hobart, which could follow the train line.

With 30,000 visiting cyclists arriving in Tasmania every year, each looking for somewhere to ride, why not run the trail from the ferry to Hobart and Port Arthur?  Would that be a Federal vision worth funding, creating much needed work for Tasmanians and improving the visitor experience?

Do read the whole article in the Tasmanian Times.