Have you changed your habits? Do you commute to work on a bicycle or doing an extra mile walking? Well, good for you. Apparently you’re not only helping the environment to reduce carbon emissions, but you’re also helping yourself to stay healthier.

Researchers at the University of Tennessee and Rutgers University found a direct link between “active transportation” and obesity. As if there wasn’t enough evidence, the study showed that obesity levels in countries where people would rather walk or pedal (to be read Europe) instead of driving cars (to be read USA) are lower. And do we really have to ask why?

Oh and if you needed any stats, you should know that “Europeans walk an average of 237 miles each year and bike another 116, while Americans walk 87 miles and bike 24″. Also, only “12 percent of Americans use active transportation: 9 percent walk, 1 percent ride a bike and 2 percent take a bus or train; over 25% of Americans are obese.”

How about we find a way to help ourselves and the planet at the same time?

Source: Reuters

This is cool. I can recharge my iPod or my Walkman by just walking.

NTT of Japan unveiled a shoe that can generate electricity while it’s wearer walks, thanks to a small generator attached to the water-filled soles.

When the wearer walks it puts pressure on the sole causing the water to spin a small turbine and generate power.

The shoe can generated 1.2 watts of electricity, “a level sufficient to run an iPod mobile music player forever, as long as the wearer keeps walking.”

“The shoes do not have a power-storage function, but you would be able to charge a mobile phone automatically or talk on it forever as long as you connect the phone to your shoes and just keep walking.”

NTT is now trying to improve the power generating capacity to 3 watts but they need to shrink all the components. Anyone hears it in the back? Sony? Anyone? – via Sina