Why should you and your child walk to school? We know there is so much time pressure these days that it’s tempting to ferry the kids about in the car everywhere we go. It is, after all, quick, convenient and, above all, safe.
There are, however, so many benefits to walking to school (as long as you live within a feasible walking distance of the school, naturally), for example that it’s tough to ignore. It’ll help your child get more active, it’s an opportunity to spend more time with them before and after school and, if you combine your walks with other parents and children, it’s a fantastic way for both you and your kids to get to know new people.
The Benefits of Walking to School
The benefits of walking to school are plentiful and varied, such as improving your health and fitness, as well as helping get traffic off the road. Keep reading to find out more.
Walking to School Improves Health
There are serious concerns about the rate of childhood obesity across the country, much of which stems from inactivity among children and young people.
Children are spending more and more time in front of screens, rather than playing outside or enjoying some form of sport, so taking them on a walk to school regularly is a great way to help them get more active and help reduce the risks of them contracting serious conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes in later life. It’s not just physical health, either, as being more active has been proven to have positive effects on mental health as well.
It Improves Fitness
Health and fitness are, of course, closely interlinked and, regularly walking your children to school is a fantastic way of improving both your own and your child’s fitness levels. The fitter and more active your children are, the healthier they are likely to be and they are also likely to have more energy while awake, as well as have a better quality of sleep.
Helps With Social Development
Walking rather than driving can also have some great social benefits to both you and your children. Rather than being alone in your car, you can organise to walk together with other parents and children, encouraging independence among your own kids, as well as helping them to meet and interact with new people and make new friends.
Lessens Your Environmental Impact
Regardless of what sort of car you may drive – even fully electric cars – all car journeys result in emissions, be they from the exhaust pipe, from a power station or from the process of building the car itself.
It has Economic Benefits too
Alongside all the reasons listed above, there are also some compelling economic reasons to walk to school with your child, rather than drive. Put simply, every journey you make in your car costs money – in fuel, depreciation and wear on components – while walking is (famously) free.
While these journeys may not seem like much, it all adds up over the course of a 14- or 15-year school career.
Having considered all of these variables, why not try walking with your child? There are loads of benefits and, most importantly, it’s fun too!