Active Community Environments Resource Kit
A resource of the Wisconsin Nutrition and Physical Activity Program.

Livable, Walkable Communities Toolkit
A New Hampshire resource.

New Hampshire Safe Routes to School Program
A planning and community assistance program provided through the NH Department of Transportation.

Bike-Walk Alliance of NH
A statewide focal point for bicycling and pedestrian related issues in New Hampshire including safety and education programs.

New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation

Tools and Resources for Supporting Healthy Eating in Cities/Towns

Improving Access to Healthy Food: A Community Planning Tool
A resource of the Columbus Health Department, Columbus, Ohio.

NH Farm to School Program
Project to connect NH farms and schools by integrating agricultural production, school food procurement and school curriculum.

Healthy Corner Stores Network
Supports efforts to increase the availability and sales of healthy, fresh, affordable foods through small-scale stores in underserved communities.

Building Breastfeeding Friendly Communities
A compilation of information designed to assist local communities to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Additional Healthy Eating and Active Living Resources for Cities/Towns

Leadership for Healthy Communities Action Strategies Toolkit
Created to support local and state leaders nationwide in their efforts to promote healthy, active communities and access to affordable healthy foods.

Complete Streets
The National Complete Streets Coalition is focused on getting complete streets policies enacted at local and state levels to enable safe access for all users.

Healthy, Equitable Transportation Policy, Recommendations and Research
A report written for community leaders, policymakers, funders, practitioners, and advocates interested in an overarching strategy to promote active living and to build healthy communities of opportunity.

Social Marketing Resources

Wheeling Walks
Model for implementing a successful media-based campaign for walking.

Reprinted with permission from the National Recreation and Park Association. www.nrpa.org

Park and recreation services play a vital role in creating active and healthy communities.

However, your community leaders may not be aware of the direct contribution that parks and recreation play in shaping community health.

Here are some facts that can be used to convey the health and physical activity benefits of parks and recreation. These facts are the result rigorous scientific studies across different age groups, communities, and across a variety of park and recreation services.

Did you know that...

• 2/3 of older adults who visit parks report moderate or high levels of physical activity during their visit.
• Active users of public parks have a lower body mass index (a ratio between weight and height) than did people who use parks passively or not at all.
• People who visited for longer periods of time (one hour or more) had significantly lower systolic blood pressures than those who only stayed for short periods of time (less than one hour).
• Park users who were more physically active and who made frequent contact with friends through their leisure time were less likely to report feeling depressed.
• Users of a community-based senior wellness program had significantly higher endurance levels, even after controlling for their level of physical activity.
• Stress relief, clearing one's mind, and exercise were the most common benefits that older adults attributed to their park visits.
• People who visited parks with companions (as opposed to visiting alone) reported significantly higher levels of physical health.
• Citizens who had better access to parks, visited parks more frequently, and engaged in physically-active park behaviors also made fewer visits to their doctor (for reasons other than a regular check-up).
• People who visited parks more frequently were more likely to have a positive perception of their general health.
• 50% of older adults who participated in light to moderate aerobic park activity reported being in a better mood after visiting parks.
• Research subjects who drove through a simulated park environment recovered more quickly from stressful situations than those who drove past a simulated environment dominated by built structures.
• Older adults who engaged in a broad repertoire of park and recreation activities were more likely to report higher levels of perceived physical health.

So go get healthy and explore the public parks in your town.

]]> http://healnh.org/CommHEALth/CitiesTowns/2009/10/health-benefits-of-parks.cfm http://healnh.org/CommHEALth/CitiesTowns/2009/10/health-benefits-of-parks.cfm active living/recreation cities/towns health parks towns walking Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:31:37 -0500

What does it mean to be a Livable Walkable Community?

Livable and walkable communities put urban environments on a scale for sustainability of natural and economic resources and lead to more social interaction, and physical fitness.They diminished crime and other social problems and lead to whole, happy, healthy lives for the people who live in them.

Have you ever thought about how livable and walkable your community is? These resources can help you and other community members assess your community and make necessary changes to improve the health and wellness of your community.

• Scorecard to assess your community
• Worksheet to collect baseline data for your community
• A Community Toolkit
• Action Planner: Steps the community needs to take to make their community more livable and walkable
• Get involved in change. Ideas from the Active Living Resource Center
  
• Active Living By Design creates community-led change by working with local and national partners to build a culture of active living and healthy eating
  

How many children walk or bicycle to school today?

The National Household Travel Survey reports that statistic was down to 15 percent in 2001. But in New Hampshire, the Safe Routes to School project is doing something about it.

Safety concerns
Parents who drive their children to school say that safety is their greatest concern. Traffic volume, crime, and weather are other common reasons.

With escalating rates of overweight and obesity, children need more physical activity. Though experts recommend that children and teens get 60 minutes of physical activity every day, many schools are reducing or eliminating physical education classes. So a daily walk or pedal to school will start the day on the right foot.

New Hampshire Safe Routes to School
To address safety concerns, schools and communities throughout the New Hampshire are getting involved with the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program. Communities from around the state have applied to the SRTS grant program for more than a million dollars in federal funding to encourage and enable children to safely walk and/or ride bicycles to school. These grants provide financial assistance to approved projects.

The SRTS's overriding goal is to evaluate the school vicinity and come up with projects that will improve safety and encourage bicycling and walking to classes. But there are so many additional benefits to students and communities. Children and participating adults get more fresh air, physical activity, safety education, and the opportunity to socialize with family and friends. This improves health, enhances academic performance, helps everyone's mood, and may result in a better understanding of the neighborhood. The community has less traffic congestion, improved air quality, access to walks and bikeways, not to mention the savings at the fuel pump.

• Learn more about bike and walking trails and safety at the Bicycle/Pedestrian Information site.

• For more information on the Safe Routes to School Program check out the national SRTS Online Guide and the SRTS Partnership Program.

• For a complete evaluation of the program nationwide, download the 2007 State of the States Report

New Hampshire Safe Routes to School A movement to encourage and enable elementary school children to safely walk and ride bicycles to school is catching on in the Granite State, and the NH Department of Transportation (NHDOT) encourages more communities to get involved.

Round 4 of the Grant Cycle is now open. Deadline November 9. Application Guidelines.