Who are the most physically active people on earth?
The Dutch, according to a global survey of 29 nations, who get almost 13 hours of exercise a week. (The least? Brazilians.)
The secret? The built environment permits daily activity. Average person in the #Netherlands cycles 1,098 km a year.
I am sure the focus on cycling is a major factor in this, as if cars are a barrier to cycling they are certainly a barrier to people just walking and running. The Dutch seem to get the right balance.
Here in the Uk I am part of an american football team, we have our own area, pitch, changingrooms etc, but the pitch is muddy, so we are trying to find somewhere else to train to help save the pitch from damage.
Costs are huge, not only that but most places you have to add parking to the cost as well.
Some of the local schools were given funding for 3g pitches, but I think had to also make them availablefor community use, a few years down the line they are not even doing that.
I was in Canada in 2006 for a few months, local rugby team in Toronto could go to a sports area with SIX fill size pitches, as well as changing rooms etc, parking I think was free, it was a way out from the city though, but so far ahead compared to the UK.
@vfrmedia @zleap @straphanger I see it as transport, mostly.
@zleap @straphanger I wonder if the Dutch are even counting the cycling they do as /normal transport/ as "sport"? Some may of course enjoy riding racing bikes as well as commuting, but the NL environment also has a lot of sports halls/gyms and safe space for groups (including kids/teens) to play sportsball, go for a run or whatever else they want to do for fitness without risk of being knocked down..