Step in the Right Direction
Missing the bus may help your children live longer.
Choosing the "heel-toe express" over the school bus or family van not only helps get kids' blood pumping, it also encourages them to be more physically active throughout the day, new research revealed. Help your child stay active and healthy by organizing a "walking school bus" with other families in your neighborhood.
Taking extra steps can help your child avoid serious health consequences, such as obesity.
Obesity rates among children are skyrocketing, and sedentary kids often become inactive and overweight adults who face a variety of serious health risks. School-age children should get a minimum of 60 minutes of age-appropriate physical activity each day. Walking to school can help in meeting that goal.
Work with other families to establish a workable schedule, meeting points, and routes, and discuss pedestrian rules of the road. If your home is too far from school, or the route is unsafe, try driving kids to a safer location that's closer to school.
