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Trails and Health Programs from Federal and State Agencies

A wide range of initiatives, resources, and grants are available from agencies and organizations.

	Urban trail in Indianapolis encourages family activity (photo by Stuart Macdonald)

Active Living by Design encourages changes in design, transportation, and policies to cultivate and support active living:

• Active Living Research is providing up to $3 million in funding for: 1. Environmental characteristics and physical activity in under-studied populations, and 2. Impact of changes in community environments or policies on physical activity.
• Physical Activity and Public Health (pdf 242 kb)
• 25 Communities Begin Projects to Promote Active Living

America on the Move is designed to get millions of people to wear step counters and walk an additional 2,000 steps (about 1 mile) a day or cut out 100 calories with help from business and agency partners.

Secretary Norton promotes Get Fit opportunities with designation of 27 new National Recreation Trails

KidsWalk-to-School from CDC's Nutrition and Physical Activity Program is a community-based program to increase daily physical activity by encouraging children to walk to and from school

International Walk to School Week gives children, parents, school teachers and community leaders an opportunity to be part of a global event as they celebrate the many benefits of walking.

National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program provides assistance for Healthy Communities: Trails and Greenways Promote Physical Activity, 2001 (pdf 56 kb)

The President's Challenge is a program that encourages all Americans to make being active part of their everyday lives.

The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: http://www.fitness.gov/

Safe Routes to School funding will help with kids' health

Shape Up America! is a high profile national initiative to promote healthy weight and increased physical activity in America: http://www.shapeup.org

Steps to a HealthierUS is part of the President's HealthierUS Initiative to promote partnerships, conduct research, create education programs, and promote physical activity for increased public health: http://www.healthierus.gov/steps/

Healthy Fed Initiative is new addition to HealthierUS: http://www.opm.gov/healthierfeds/

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsors a number of programs:

• For additional information on walking, health, and promoting physical activity: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Nutrition & Physical Activity: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa
• Preventing Obesity and Chronic Diseases Through Good Nutrition and Physical Activity (pdf 224 kb)
• Healthy People in Healthy Communities A Community Planning Guide, from the Healthy People 2010 program with a goal of "Healthy People in Healthy Communities," February 2001 (pdf 1.1 mb)
• Trails for Health: promoting healthy lifestyles and environments is a concise, attractive brochure, July 2003 (pdf 95 kb)
• Physical Activity Fundamental To Preventing Disease

The National Association of Governor's Councils on Physical Fitness and Sports works to promote physical activity and leads worksite activity initiatives: www.fitnesslink.com/Govcouncil/

A Report of the Surgeon General: Physical Activity and Health: The Link Between Physical Activity and Morbidity and Mortality (pdf 156 kb)

Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond would raise $10 million to accelerate trail construction

More help with Trails & Health:

• Programs
• Resources
• Projects and studies

Related topics:

Accessible trails
Benefits of trails
Bike/Ped facilities
Economics
Greenways
Planning
Rails to Trails

More resources:

Cool trail solutions
Bibliography
Quotations
Glossary
Acronyms
Tools
Products & services

For more opportunities for training on trail design, construction, and management see the National Trails Training Partnership area.