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.
Open space trail map in Belmont
Recreation areas in Belmont
City of South San Francisco Walking and Biking 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).
Silicon Valley 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.
Local Activity Resource Directory
Be Active Resource Directory - San Mateo County
Wheelchair-Accessible Trails in California
Request a copy of A Wheelchair Rider's Guide: San Francisco Bay and the Nearby Coast by Bonnie Lewkowicz. This book is a guide for trails for wheelchairs and strollers, including trails in San Mateo County. Call (510) 286-1015 to request a copy.
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
Increasing Physical Activity Through Community Design (National Center for Biking and Walking)
How to get non-athletes to be Physically Active (American Heart Association)
How can Physical Activity Become a Way of Life (American Heart Association)
10,000 Steps Pedometer Challenge (Health Plan of San Mateo)
Be Active Your Way (open accessible version in new window)
Finding a Balance Podcast (CDC)
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.
The Implementing Safe Routes to School in Low-income Schools and Communities Resource Guide, developed by the Safe Routes Partnership, focuses on the challenges unique to creating safe routes for children to walk and bike to school in low-income communities and highlights practices used around the country to improve student safety in low-income communities.
The mission of Bike San Mateo County, is to facilitate and encourage more people to get out and ride: to work, to play, to relax and to experience the simple joy of riding one's bicycle.
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
Physical Activity Guidelines
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.