As ever, it’s great to have some buddies that hold your opinions to account and challenge you to think beyond the realm of your own perspectives. I’m something of an old school person when it comes to approaches to looking after ourselves. If I was born in my mothers era, where it was horse and sulky or a bicycle, I reckon I would have got along ok. Making the most of all opportunities to perform exercise or use each moment to be as resourceful as possible and not rely on the sedentary path is possibly my pitch to most people that come through my clinic doors.
When I bought my little red sports car, I made a choice to myself to still be the person that shops local, rides to the grocer and butcher, walks to the supermarket and back up the hill laden with goods. It gives you an idea of what you choose to purchase as well, when you have to lug it up a big hill, you tend to be select about the amount of produce you buy and perhaps choose not to but 6 bottles of soft drink because you know how hefty it is to carry that all home. My balancing act of fruit and veg on my back and the front of my bike still makes me smile and question my logic at times. But I hold true that I am doing myself a good service by making my commutes, my shopping and my journeys part of my movement practice.
So in discussing the pros of incidental exercise, I felt pretty empowered when discussing with my podcast co-host, (the ever challenging Marie) my opinion on the use of electronic personal vehicles and their rise in the population. Being a bike rider on a pretty old fashioned 10 speed racer, I will admit to the occasional sneer at the electric bike person zooming past me with zero effort on the pedals and shooting off down the road with their little backpack of food items glaring at me like a laughing anime character.
Trends are showing that micromobility is on the rise. Alternatively fuelled, shared, integrated and autonomous transport systems the world over are taking over the way that we move around our cities. As our cities are growing and city populatios continue to increase (predictions cite by 2050 80% of the earths population will live in cities) we face increasing issues around congestion, poor air quality, loss of public/green spaces, and a reduction in social mobility and accessibility. These impacts on our health along with growing pressure of zero carbon emissions and alternative solutions to transport (transport accounts for up to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe and the USA and 20% in Australia), cities are feeling the pressure to find solutions with legislation and policies to hit these targets. As a result we are experiencing a mobility revolution, whether we like it or not.
Micromobility may not be a term you have heard of much as it is relatively new with SAE International in Aug 2020 creating a terminology to define the personal E-Mobile market (SAE J3194 standard). These devices include fully or partially powered vehicles that weight up to 230kg and travel at speeds of up to 50km an hour. Powered bicycles, scooters, balancing boards (yes we’ve all seen the Facebook Fails) and even powered skateboards all come under this new category of micromobile devices. For a snapshot of just how popular these new devices are, in Europe The E-Scooter market is estimated to be valued at 100 billion Euros by 2030 with current user figures standing at over 20 million. Predictions indicate that if we start to replacing car journeys with E-mobile devices, we have the capacity to reduce carbon emissions of transport by up to 90%.
The other big plus is that it makes cities more accessible. Instead of having to negotiate car parking, traffic congestion and commute times, E-transport has the capacity to make huge impacts on making our cities easier to negotiate. Going to the theatre or out for dinner across a suburb becomes a much more viable option, not to mention reducing the pressure on our transport system. Lets face it - the wagon wheel system of Sydney’s public transport makes commuting laterally between suburbs an exercise in frustration. So there are so many benefits to this introduction of Micromobility management that cities are actively encouraging and creating infrastructure to support. Its a movement that we must get used to and be ready to negotiate.
And so now - here enters the cynic! I still can’t help but launch into my judgement of automated personal transport and loathe the direction in which it takes us as sedentary and non ambulating persons. My inner critic bemoans the fact that instead of taking a bike to work and using this 15-30min moment of your day to use your body and gain some joint mobility, we choose sedentary and passive transport options to enable our commute. And no it’s not just because they can beat me off the lights. The COVID experience has taught us the value of incidental exercise and movement. Having to get up, walk to the bus stop and maybe walk past our favourite coffee shop for our morning beverage, walking off the bus/train and up the stairs at work (not using the elevator) because we know that this is going to give us more steps… all these factors make for use of our bodies and getting range of motion through our major joints and generating muscular use, tendon loading and even in some cases, some basic cardiovascular activation.
For some of us (not all) this is vital movement practice that we may neglect if we opt for the easiest path. Make up and crinkled shirts asides, getting a bit hot under the collar when we go to the workplace IS A GOOD THING. Making the most of our ambulation means we get some movement happening and there is such a call for this in our daily lives. Incidental exercise is actually defined as small bouts of activity that occurs on a daily basis. Now if we choose to ride a bike to work rather than take the train, or climb the stairs rather than taking the elevator, we are clocking more and more minutes of incidental exercise and research proves that these small changes can have significant effects on our “non communicable chronic health conditions that are associated with physical inactivity” (D.Taylor - Physical Activity is Medicine for Older Adults) We really should be trying to maximise our daily activity levels SEPARATE from planned bouts of physical exercise.
It’s a common conversation that happens around the dinner table after a long journey abroad. Anticipation over the amount of weight one is going to put on when away from known exercise regimes and enjoying all the wonderful options of food and wine and decadent living that comes with a holiday in an exotic location. And yet often, some are suprised when they do come home of just how little weight they have put on, Days of hiking, sightseeing, museums and meanderings around ruins can sometimes exponentially increase our incidental exercise which sees us finishing a holiday in better condition than when we started. This is because usual days for many people involves 6-8 hours of desk sitting combined with sitting in a car and then on a couch with a planned 30min exercise session thrown in the middle. Compare that with 8-10hrs of walking around townships and climbing stairs and you can begin to see how impactive this incidental exercise stuff can be.
According the the National Department of Health, more than 60% of Australians are not active enough. (Australian Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2011–2012. ABS Cat. No. 4364.0.55.004. Canberra: ABS.) In response to this the National Dept of Health have published Australia’s Guidelines for Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour that breaks down recommendation according to age brackets for everyday Australians.
Each week:
· 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) of moderate intensity physical activity, or
· 75 minutes (1 ¼ hours) of vigorous intensity physical activity, will help improve blood pressure, cholesterol, heart health, as well as muscle and bone strength.
The message is clear, Stand More - Sit Less, Make Your Move - Sit Less - Be Active, In all these handouts, incidentary exercise features prominently as an effective way to influence your morbidity indicators and health outcomes. Making the most of as much activity as you can during the day is an adjunct to any planned exercise regime that you may care to take part in.
So - am I justified to have my little penchant for wanting us to not be reliant on personal electronic modes of transport? In the broader picture, I can see the benefit of the rise of Micromobility vehicles and how they will contribute to a better city living experience. However when I look out the window at the F45 gym and see you jumping on your motorised scooter after your workout, I’m going to allow myself a little judgemental moment with a raised eyebrow. I just won’t point the finger.
