Local Parks, Trails and Recreation Programs | Why Physical Activity is Important | How to Incorporate Physical Activity into my Life | Walking and Biking to School | Physical Activity Guidelines
Local Parks, Trails, and Recreation Programs
County of San Mateo, Parks and Recreation Department lists information on mid and south-county trails and a mid-county trail map.
The Bay Trail provides easily accessible recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers, joggers, bicyclists and skaters. It provides a commute alternative for cyclists, and connects to numerous public transportation facilities (including ferry terminals, light-rail lines, bus stops and Caltrain, Amtrak, and BART stations).
Peninsula Bike and Pedestrian Coalition (PBPC) is your local source for bicycling and pedestrian information in San Mateo County. Check this page to learn about interesting events, volunteering opportunities, and current issues facing bicyclists and pedestrians.
View a Coastal Conservancy book by Bonnie Lewkowicz called A Wheelchair Rider’s Guide: San Francisco Bayand the Nearby Coast. This downloadable 211-page book suggests trails for wheelchairs and strollers, including areas in San Mateo County. Printed copies of this guide are also available free of charge by calling 510-286-1015.
Open space trail map in Belmont
Recreation areas in Belmont
City of South San Francisco Walking and Biking Map
Local Activity Resource Directory
Be Active Resource Guide
The mission of Starlings Volleyball Clubs USA San Mateo Chapter is to help prevent childhood obesity in vulnerable populations by addressing its two main causes, poor nutrition and lack of physical activity. The Starlings program helps minority and low-income girls ages 12 to 18 by 1) developing their athletic skills through participation in a team sport, 2) teaching them healthy eating and exercise habits, and 3) providing them with a safe haven where caring, involved adults encourage them to stay away from drugs and gangs, do well in school and go on to college. Click here to read an article about Starlings or view their video.
Why Physical Activity is Important
Exercise (Physical Activity) and Children. Includes information about why physical activity is important, how to promote physical activity in your child, and American Heart Association recommendations.
American Heart Association published Why Should I be Physically Active?
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness Program’s Physical Activity Facts.
How to Incorporate Physical Activity into my Life
How to get non-athletes to be Physically Active by the American Heart Association.
How can Physical Activity Become a Way of Life by the American Heart Association.
10,000 Steps Pedometer Challenge by Health Plan of San Mateo
Be Active Your Way (open accessible version in new window)
CDC podcast called Finding a Balance on how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. There is also information available from the Healthy Weight website.
Walking and Biking to School
Center for Disease Control and Prevention offers resources such as walk to school presentations, walk to school fact sheets, walk to school brochures, how to organize walk to school events in your community, how to generate kids' enthusiasm and more.
California Center for Physical Activity published How To Start A Walking Program: A Guide for Local Program Coordinators. This guide is designed to provide local coordinators with the steps needed to create successful walking groups in communities.
America Walks is the voice of advocacy for local, state, and national issues.
Safe Routes to School published The Walking School Bus: Combining Safety, Fun and the Walk to School.
Safe Routes to School Online Guide
General information about safe routes to school
For information about the benefits of physical activity in school-aged youth and a healthy school environment, click here.You will be directed to the healthy school environment subsection within the 'for educators' section of the website.
Physical Activity Guidelines
California Department of Health Services Physical Activity Guidelines for Children, Youth and Adults.
Summary of the Surgeon General's 'At-a-Glance' Report from 1996 and a link to the full report. This report brings together, for the first time, what has been learned about physical activity and health from decades of research. Among its major findings: people who are usually inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming even moderately active on a regular basis, physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve health benefits, and greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount (duration, frequency, or intensity) of physical activity.