June 7, 2022 –
A study conducted by the University of Manitoba found that living near a trail used for walking, running and cycling leads to an eight percent reduction in risk factors for heart disease.
“If you build it, they will come and maybe even live longer,” said Dr. John McGawok, a professor of pediatrics and children’s health at Max Radi Medical College, Radi’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
The study examines four multifunctional trails in Winnipeg – Greenway Yellow Ribbon, Northeast Pioneers Greenway, Transcona Trail and Southside Greenway. The trails range from four to seven kilometers and are mostly in suburban areas.
The study, published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, found that 20-kilometer trails attract 5,000 cyclists each week. This added up to 1.6 million bicycle trips over a five-year period.
“Since the trails were built in 2012, that adds up to 4,000 to 7,000 fewer Winnipeggers who live with a risk factor for heart disease,” said McGawok, who is also a researcher at the Institute of Children’s Hospital Research in Manitoba. “The important thing is that this health benefit was greatest for people living on Southside Greenway, the busiest trail.
The study, supported by the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, found that the construction of the four multi-purpose paved paths affected about 48,000 people living within 400 meters of the path, McGavok said. He said the data showed that widening reusable trails could reduce the risk of heart disease in trail-to-trail areas, but that effect was sensitive to the trail’s frequency of use or trail characteristics.
McGawok and his team, which included Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health Dr. Kelly Russell, partnered with the City of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Trails Association. Critical collaboration was also with Charles Birchill of the Manitoba Center for Health Policy, Associate Director, Data Warehousing, Access and Use, and Heather Pryor, Lead Data Analyst.
Anders Swanson, executive director of the Winnipeg Trails Association, said what is important for this study is the link it establishes between the busiest trails and heart health.
“Clearly, it is not enough to have a path, it must be useful, close and part of a continuous network,” Swanson said. “Each path must also connect with the places where people have to go. When it does, it gets busier. The heavier it is and the more it is associated with a mixture of uses, the more it has an impact on cardiovascular disease. “
This is the largest experiment to date examining the impact of changes in the built environment that facilitate physical activity – such as reusable pathways – on events and risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. McGuwok said his study is important because, despite the rapid expansion of multifunctional trails in many cities, there are few studies looking at their impact on the health of the people who use them.
“Winnipeg Trails would like to congratulate all participants who took the time to survey the trail and the research staff who conducted the study, but especially the late Daniel Moore, a friend and colleague with a passion for science that I would be proud of,” Swanson said. .
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