Originally published September 4 2005
Walking to school is good exercise for kids, study says
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Walking to school and back home helps keeps children healthy, a recent University of Edinburgh study revealed.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh say how a child gets to and from school has a broader impact on children.
It affects their overall level of physical activity, write Leslie Alexander and colleagues in BMJ Online.
The researchers' goal was to measure moderate to vigorous physical activity among 92 pupils aged 13-14.
Participants in the study were from four schools in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Students were divided into three groups: those who traveled to and from school by car, bus or train; those who walked both ways; and those who walked one way.
Each student was asked to wear a pedometer throughout the day.
Students who walked to and from school accumulated the most minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity throughout the day.
They were followed by those walking one way.
Those who walked both ways were far more likely to experience moderate to vigorous levels of exercise throughout the course of a day than those traveling to school by car, bus or train.
In all, 87% of students going to school by car, bus, or train accumulated an average of 60 or more minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on weekdays.
That contrasted with 90% of those who walked one way and 100% of those who walked both ways.
Similar results have been reported for 10-year-olds.
Among 5-year-olds, the mode of travel to school did not significantly affect overall physical activity, researchers found.
"Our findings suggest that walking to school may be more effective for older children," Alexander says in a news release.
"In conclusion, we feel that understanding these differences would enhance health promoting school and transportation strategies," she says.
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