Walk to School

Walk to School
By CWK Network Producer

“Not only does it give physical activity, but it also gives them the opportunity to learn and practice safe pedestrian skills.”
— Jessica Shisler, CDC health education specialist

As yet another school year gets in gear, lots of big yellow school buses will be rolling on streets in neighborhoods nationwide. But researchers at the University of Buffalo recently released their findings: A simple morning walk to school can reduce stress in kids throughout the school day – along with other lifelong benefits.

Most kids load on the bus or catch a ride to school with mom or dad.
But, not 11-year-old Max and his buddies.

“I don’t like to go places in the car, and I feel better if I’m walking,” Max says.

Max is bucking a 40-year trend. Less than 10% of American school children now walk to school, compared with 50% four decades ago. Researchers from the University of Buffalo report that a simple morning walk to school could reduce stress reactivity in children during the school day.

Jessica Shisler, a health education specialist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Not only does it give them physical activity, but it also gives them the opportunity to learn and practice safe pedestrian skills.”

Experts suggest that parents walk with their kids to school, if possible and then share that duty with other parents in the neighborhood. One adult for six kids is a good ratio. Trading off days with other parents in the neighborhood can help share the duty.

It is also important to make walking fun. One way to do this is by playing games with your child. Maybe even games that have to do with the rules of walking and that also teach safety.

“Some of the games are I-Spy. I-Spy dangerous things in the neighborhood, and I-Spy safe things in the neighborhood. Something fun and something that children look forward to doing each day,” Shisler suggests.

Max, who’s been walking his mile and a quarter to school every day for three years, says he’s always enjoyed it – well, almost.

“It’s fun, but the first time I walked my feet really hurt cause I wasn’t used to it.”

What We Need to Know

University of Buffalo researchers, in a report in the August 2010 issue of Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise, relayed findings that walking to school can reduce stress reactivity during the school day, and curb increases in heart rate and blood pressure that may curb cardiovascular disease later in life.

Public health officials and scientists agree that all Americans should accumulate at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. In addition to 30 minutes, children need another 20 minutes of vigorous activity several days a week. Yet, 78% of young boys and girls fall short of this recommended dose of exercise.

To support the national goal of better health through physical activity, the CDC launched KidsWalk-to-School, a community-based program that aims to increase opportunities for daily physical activity by encouraging children to walk to and from school in groups accompanied by adults.

It is critical to teach children to walk safely: look left-right-left before crossing streets, and to cross at designated crossings whenever possible. According to iwalk: The Official International Walk to School website, every year, about 25,000 child pedestrians are injured by motor vehicles. Reducing the risk of injury includes teaching children pedestrian and bicycle skills. It also means reminding drivers to watch for others using the road. Hazardous conditions along routes to school need to be identified and fixed.
Some of the best ways to increase the safety of a child’s walk or bike to school are to:

• provide safe, well-maintained walkways separate from vehicles;
• Teach children to cross streets at marked crossings and to always look left-right-left
• Slow traffic in neighborhoods and near schools through traffic calming and enforcement
• Work with parents of children with disabilities and special education professionals to identify accessibility barriers
• Ensure that walkways are continues and meet national accessibility standards
• Install curb ramps at every intersection and mid-block crossing
• Provide accessible pedestrian signals at intersections