April 2008

Pedal power takes message to the street

Community health manager Natalie Smith had not ridden a bicycle for years.

‘The last serious riding I did was on a three-wheeler to kindergarten,’ Mrs Smith, a busy mother of four children, declared.

But now the health worker, who advocates regular exercise as part of her job, has been given a chance to better practise what she preaches.

Mrs Smith, and up to 60 health and community workers in the Wimmera Mallee, are getting on their bikes as they move about their communities for work.

It is all part of Wimmera Primary Care Partnership’s Active Transport project which helps fund half the cost of $460 bicycles being ridden by health and community workers in small and large communities.

Wimmera PCP discovered many employees, who encourage clients to get active, were finding it hard to fit exercise into their busy work and family routines.

Seventeen bicycles have started to remedy the problem as workers cycle to meetings, down to pick up mail or to visit other offices.

‘The project encourages staff to use a bicycle for these local trips to increase physical activity instead of using work vehicles and private cars,’ Wimmera Primary Care Partnership Health Promotion Officer Donna Bridge said.

Ms Bridge said the daily 30 minutes of activity did not have to be carried out in one block and short bike rides could help meet exercise needs.

Mrs Smith said people in her workplace often made a list of jobs to make the best use of their cycling trips.

‘When the bike goes out it goes out in a big way,’ Mrs Smith said.

Ms Bridge said riding had so many benefits for people and the environment.

‘Every litre of petrol saved reduces green house gas emissions.’

Ms Bridge encouraged all workplaces, whatever their nature, to consider buying a bicycle and supporting staff to use it instead of cars.