We all know that getting some exercise is good for us.

The recommended amount for adults is 30 minutes per day. Only 25 percent of us meet that standard, despite efforts to encourage people to be more active. And that hasn’t changed in 20 years.

Mark Fenton calls it a “stickiness problem” – a problem not of getting people to change their behavior in the first place, but of getting those changes to stick long-term.

Fenton, a walking advocate, author and a former member of the U.S. national racewalking team, spoke at The Art Theater in Champaign Thursday evening about creating healthier communities that foster opportunities for people to be more active.

Instead of just encouraging people to begin exercise programs, the way to keep them moving is to find ways for them to put more physical activity in their daily lives, Fenton said.

That includes children. Fenton said most adults grew up as “free-range kids” who rode bikes or played in the neighborhood with other children, without constant adult supervision and in activities that were non-structured and didn’t involve a scheduled time, uniform or coach.

That’s not the way most children are growing up now, he said, and that’s setting a generation of kids up against massive odds in terms of their health. Sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition means they could be the first generation to face a shorter life expectancy than their parents, Fenton said, and lower-income children will be disproportionately affected.

“It’s unfathomable that we can know that’s happening, know the remedy for it, and not do it,” he said.

While most discussion about obesity centers on food, it ought to include the two epidemics of physical inactivity and poor nutrition, Fenton said.

“We are so missing the point when we’re talking about the obesity epidemic. We’re facing an inactivity epidemic in this country,” he said.

Local governments must be involved in making it easy for people to walk or bicycle more. Fenton said the things that will encourage more travel by foot or bicycle include: mixed land use, where schools and services are within walking distance of residential neighborhoods; sidewalks, trails or bike paths connecting different areas of a city; inviting destinations with easy access that are pedestrian-friendly; and safety.

Fenton suggested how residents can help bring about changes that will make their communities more pedestrian- and bike-friendly. First, they should be active role models by walking, biking or taking public transportation when possible, and by talking about physical activity and encouraging others to become more active.

He acknowledged not everyone is able to commute by bicycle or walking. Instead, find other trips that can be made without a car, such as walking a child to a friend's house to play or to a lunch date.

Residents also need to talk to public officials about the importance of changes that will promote more physical activity, Fenton said.

His visit was sponsored by the C-U Safe Routes to School Project and the C-U MTD.

Read Saturday’s News-Gazette for a story on Fenton’s suggestions for increasing opportunities for physical activity during the school day.