New NICE Guidance on Walking and Cycling

The government's health advisory body, NICE, has published new guidance which promotes active travel as a way of tackling our nation's health problems, such as obesity, in relation to inactivity. The guidance describes how people can be encouraged to increase the amount they walk or cycle for travel or recreational purposes. It is for commissioners, managers and practitioners involved in physical activity promotion or who work in the environment, parks and leisure or transport planning sectors, e.g. local authorities, schools and workplaces.

NICE recommends coordinated action to identify and address the barriers that may be discouraging people from walking and cycling. These include:

• Implement town-wide programmes to promote cycling for both transport and recreational purposes, e.g. cycle hire schemes, car-free events or days, providing information such as maps and route signing.
• Ensure walking routes are integrated with accessible public transport links to support longer journeys.
• In partnership with the children develop and implement school travel plans that encourage them to walk or cycle all or part of the way to school, including children with limited mobility.
• Ensure walking and cycling are considered alongside other interventions, when working to achieve specific health outcomes in relation to the local population (such as a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes, or the promotion of mental wellbeing).

The guidance makes it clear that an integrated approach to the promotion of walking and cycling is needed to achieve the potential public health benefits.

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