Physical activity, in addition to helping us maintain a healthy weight, improves our sleep and our physical and mental well-being, and plays a role in preventing non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, this year the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that one third of adults and more than 80% of adolescents around the world did not meet the recommended physical activity levels of in 2022.
According to the WHO, in Colombia 34% of adults did not meet the minimum recommendations (150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week). This worrying trend also has a gender component: globally, women are 5% less active than men, and in Colombia, this difference increases to 12%; in 2022, 40% of women did not reach the recommended levels, compared to 28% of men.
In 2018, the WHO launched an action plan to increase physical activity levels called the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018- 2030. More active people for a healthy world (GAPPA). The goal of this action plan is to reduce global physical inactivity levels by 15% by 2030. However, since its launch, and especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, the adoption of actions has not been sufficient to reverse this worrying trend.
GAPPA proposes a systemic approach to increase physical activity through four objectives: i. Creating an active society; ii. Creating active environments; iii. Creating active people; iv. Create active systems, and this is where Ciclovía takes centre stage. This programme, which emerged from a community initiative supported by the local government on 15 December 1974 with 5,000 cyclists, is an example of resilience and sustainability and a practical manifestation of GAPPA, as it ensures access to environments and opportunities to be physically active.
In half a century, Ciclovía has grown from a three-hour event to a seven-hour weekly programme that opens 127 km of roads every Sunday and public holiday to promote physical activity across the city. In this way, more than 1.3 million people a week enjoy the opportunity to cycle (as originally intended), but also to walk, jog, run and skate.
Ciclovía meets all the objectives of the GAPPA. It creates an active society by changing social norms and attitudes and promoting the benefits of physical activity. It creates active environments by providing equitable access to safe spaces and places, enabling people of all ages, abilities and socio-economic levels (one third of its participants come from low-income areas) to be physically active for more than 150 minutes per week, as recommended by the WHO.
While Ciclovía has grown significantly over the years, there is still work to be done in achieving gender equity, as only one-third of its users are women. Nevertheless, Ciclovía actively creates active people and has fostered additional opportunities for physical activity through differential and population-based approaches, seeking to increase gender equity. Among these initiatives along Ciclovía, also led by the District Institute of Recreation and Sport (IDRD) are:
- Walk Bike, a project that promotes the physical and cognitive development of children between 2 and 4 years old;
- Lúdica Recreativa, an initiative games and activities for children;
- Skill schools such as Ciclovía en Patines and Escuela de la Bicicleta (Skate and Bike schools), which mainly benefit women; and
- Recreovías, a programme that started in 1995 as part of Ciclovía, which teaches group fitness classes in different locations mainly to women.
Finally, Bogotá’s Ciclovía exemplifies the creation of active systems, through the development of a robust governance structure led by the IDRD to ensure its long-term sustainability. This structure integrates community commitment and participation alongside strategic partnerships and coordination with the city’s security, mobility, and government sectors (Meisel JD et al, 2014).
In terms of data systems, IDRD has worked closely with universities and national and international entities to analyse the impact of the programme, on the physical and mental health and on the social return on investment. Furthermore, IDRD recently created the Technical Department focused on designing research processes and generating data on the city’s sport, physical activity and recreation programmes.
For these and many other reasons, Ciclovía is a success story for the promotion of physical activity that has perfected its operation over the years. In this half-century, Ciclovía has been replicated in hundreds of places around the world (only 105 cities in the Americas) as a quick and effective way to provide accessible spaces for people of all ages to walk, jog, run, skate, and cycle, while enjoying the experience. For years, Bogotá has been enjoying the mental, social and physical benefits of Ciclovía, a local initiative that continues to inspire and pave the way for future generations worldwide.
Authors:
Natalia Lleras, Programme Manager, Walk21.
Jim Walker, Director, Walk21.
Also published in La Silla Vacía. December 2024.
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