We seem to do much more walking and bicycle riding when we're away from the daily grind.
Bicycle NSW CEO Peter McLean digs in to the reason why holidays are an excellent time to get on your bike – and how you can keep up holiday routines long after the sand and salt have washed away.
The McLean family loves riding bikes but everyone is much more active on holiday (Image: Bicycle NSW)
Have you ever been on holidays and noticed that you walk and cycle more than you do in your everyday life? Well, it turns out that you're not alone. Because I have noticed many people doing just that. Myself included!
This photo was taken when I was on a family holiday on the Mid North Coast of NSW. It was great to see the bike racks almost full.
Busy bike racks by the beach on the Mid North Coast (Image: Bicycle NSW)
Of course, many visitors were from Sydney and the Hunter regions where the car remains the default mode of transport for most trips.
There are persistent barriers to entry for bicycle use in the suburbs of the big cities, with unsafe conditions, high vehicle speeds and insufficient separated infrastructure top of the list. But the conditions in holiday hotspots aren't vastly different to the areas from where these visitors are coming from. This is equally reflected from my own circumstances.
So, if holiday destinations are not active transport paradises, why do people tend to adopt walking and cycling a lot more?
A chance to reset and reflect
Well, I tend to believe that we all suffer from varying degrees of resistance to change. When we go on holidays, we undergo a reset, we reflect on what makes life great, and we are more open to change.
There is little research in this space, although one study has been undertaken and published by the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (Volume 20, Article 24, 2023.
The authors provide evidence to suggest that holidays are good for us – of course! More specifically, it is clear that we generally sleep more and exercise more (both light and moderate exercise) and our sedentary behaviour decreases when we are not chained to car commutes and hours behind a desk. The overall observation was that holidays result in positive changes for health and daily physical activity. These changes were most pronounced for breaks of between 4 days and 2 weeks in length.
People tend to slip back in to pre-holiday routines within about 2 weeks. This provides a window of opportunity for behaviour change interventions to combat sedentary behaviour.
Take holiday habits home with you
Now that we all embark on a new year, we need to ask ourselves: ‘How can I build some of these positive activities into my everyday life?’
For me, it is about not making excuses about having no time and ensuring that I integrate movement into my daily routines. So here are a few tips:
- On holidays, we often walk or ride to the beach or local attractions so why can't we do the same for short trips at home? Every time you go somewhere, ask yourself if you can walk or ride a bike instead of driving.
- Using public transport is a great way to increase your incidental exercise and catch up on some reading, personal admin or other important tasks.
- Ask yourself why you walked or cycled more on holidays and try to replicate it in your everyday life. Maybe it was quicker, easier, more fun, or perhaps you enjoyed not having to search for parking.
- On the weekend, visit somewhere new by foot or by bicycle. Even if you have lived in the same place for many years, I guarantee you there will be places you haven't explored.
- Encourage your friends, family or colleagues to walk and ride with you. Tell them they'll feel much better for it!
So what will you change in 2025? Tell us how you will walk, ride and wheel as much as possible, and how you’ll inspire others to do the same.
Peter McLean, CEO of Bicycle NSW and a passionate advocate for health and wellbeing
Children enjoying the freedom – and low speed limits – of an Australian holiday park (Image: The Australian)
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