Trails, greenways, river walkways, forest paths all promote healthy activity. Walking or biking on a trail gets your heart pumping, sends fresh oxygen through your body, and burns calories. This leaves you invigorated, happier, and more relaxed.
That is only one way that our Regional Trail System improves health. Here are three more:
1. Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds
Regular exercise lowers the risk of obesity, diabetes, chronic illness, and a reduced life expectancy, especially in communities of color, which have higher rates of chronic illness and a lower life expectancy due to health risk factors. Walking a trail even once a week can help clear your mind and improve your mood!
2. More Green, More Clean
Trails and greenways also protect natural land and habitats for wildlife. This helps to improve air and water quality by preserving the natural habitat. Trails also provide communities more ways to get around without a car, like biking, skating, or using a scooter!
3. More Trails, More Greens
These trails can bring people together, while also providing surrounding businesses with opportunities for economic growth and renewal, increasing surrounding property values, and providing much needed cycling tourism, because everybody knows cyclists are generous spenders (truth!).
Safe access to outdoor activities makes communities better places to live. By focusing our efforts to design and build trails in South King County, Parks hopes to bring those advantages to populations that historically haven’t had easy access to them, while also providing everyone in the County with more trails to enjoy.
Want to know how to best support trails in your area? Get out and use them! Plan trips on the surrounding trails using King County TrailFinder and go explore #YourBigBackyard!