Physical inactivity is a major contributor to poor health in Australia – with around half the population insufficiently active to protect against sedentary lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes. The trend of decreasing rates of physical activity cuts across all ages and social groups. Modern lifestyles have engineered physical activity out of everyday life.
Cycling offers significant potential to increase physical activity levels in adults. It is already the fourth most popular physical activity for adults, it can be undertaken by a wide variety of ages and fitness levels, it is affordable and can be integrated into people’s daily life and used as a form of transport.
This report has been developed to assist practitioners, policy makers and planners to increase adult physical activity levels through bicycle riding. It does this by first setting the scene on Australian cycling and then outlines current barriers and facilitators to greater participation. Finally, the report delivers a set of recommendations to overcome these barriers and increase bicycle riding among Australian adults.