Active Transportation and Planetary Health

Original Editor - Carin Hunter based on the course by Adam Toner
Top Contributors - Carin Hunter, Jess Bell, Wanda van Niekerk, Kim Jackson, Tarina van der Stockt, Lucinda hampton and Olajumoke Ogunleye

What is Planetary Health?

Human health and our own existence depend on flourishing natural systems and that these stewardship of these systems and helping them thrive help us thrive to. Physiotherapy is widely recognised as being an important stakeholder in population health. Planetary health itself is seen as it's a growing and an important part of population health.

What is Active Transport?

Active Transport is defined as:

• walking
• cycling
• scooters
• jogging

Active transport can be anything that involves physical activity to or from a place of work or school. If an individual uses public transport, walking or biking to that stop is also defined as active transport as it is seen as a planetary health intervention. If physiotherapy, as a profession, can help to increase active transportation, we might also see an increase in physical activity, which will simultaneously have a positive impact on the environment.

Table representing the interaction between the physiotherapist, active transportation, human health and the environment

a) The interaction between Physiotherapist and Human health

If an individual has a health problem, or an injury, they are going to go seek healthcare, possibly a physiotherapist. That physiotherapist is going to have an impact on their health by supporting their own improvements, whether that be educating them, giving them certain advice, obviously administering interventions or giving them an exercise program.

b) The interaction between the Physiotherapist and Active transportation

Active transportation might allow more access to physiotherapy for patients. As the physical therapist, active transportation might be promoted as a way for a patient to increase their own physical activity.

c) The interaction between the Physiotherapist and the Environment

This refers to more the built environment, and not the natural environment. As a physiotherapist, you could advocate for change in the built environment in such a way that it might help access to physiotherapy or might help access to other facilities that are important to that patient.

d) The interaction between Active transport and Human health

The hypothesis is that if we increase someone's active transportation, that in itself is going to increase their physical activity, which will have a positive impact on their health. However, starting off with poor health might itself be a barrier to engaging in active transportation.

e) The interaction between Active transport and the Environment

In this case, we refer to both the built and the natural environment. If people engage more in active transportation to increase their physical activity, this could have a positive impact on the environment by helping to reduce emissions through less private car use. The environment in which a person lives in or where they want to exercise can easily encourage or discourage people from exercising and to use active transportation as a measure to increase their physical activity.

f) The interaction between Human health and the Environment

A biodiversity loss can adversely impact human health. On the opposite of the spectrum, a reduction in human health might adversely impact the environment. Lifestyle choices that involve overconsumption, whether that be medical supplies or pharmaceuticals.

If we use the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, with the increased use of masks and disposable masks, we are starting to see more of littering of these masks. Often where our own health is impacted, this can have a direct impact on the environment too.

Recommendations
Encourage active transport as a form of PA to improve individual and population health while yielding, additional health-related environmental benefits.
Educate physiotherapists and patients alike about the link between active transport, environment, personal and public health.
Advocate for safe and better infrastructure for active transport.
Advocate for more green spaces and less motorized streets without furthering socio-economic divides.
Advocate for active transport routes in close proximity to biodiverse green spaces, and blue spaces.
Advocate to make e-bikes and bike-share facilities more accessible to those populations that are unable to afford them but need them the most.
Advocate for better integration of active transport with sustainable public transport in a way that ensures physical and financial accessibility.

Interventions	Considerations
Encourage active transport to increase physical activity levels	Are patients open to learning about required physical activity levels?
	Is active transportation cost-effective for the patient?
	Are patients aware of local transportation links and bicycle routes?
	Does the patient have safety concerns preventing active transport as an option as a result of their age, inability, gender, surrounding infrastructure?
Promote positive lifestyle changes through active transportation.	Could adopting active transportation increase the patient’s social interactions?
	Could improved sleep occur as a result of increased activity levels?
	Would adopting active transportation reduce stress in the patient’s life?