What is a Walking School Bus?

How can you reduce your ecological footprint and get in shape at the same time? Join a ‘walking school bus’! Essentially a carpool on legs, walking to school with others has many benefits, and for some kids, it’s the only exercise they get.

As schools tighten their budgets and eliminate various physical activities and after-school programs, kids must find other ways to stay active.

In a study of adolescents, all of the students who walked both to and from school met the recommended levels of 60 or more minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on weekdays. A Houston, Texas study found that children who participated in a Walking School Bus group increased their weekly rate of active commuting by 38 percent over a five-week period. This is exciting news for Houston residents, where the obesity rate is 26.1 percent.

Participating in a walking group is also a fun and interactive way to teach kids pedestrian safety – not to mention that it helps decrease the number of cars on the road!

To start a walking school bus in your neighborhood, invite classmates who live nearby to walk with your child. Organize daily chaperones with their parents, and consider speaking to your child’s school and local law enforcement for support (such as a crossing guard). Find even more ideas at www.walkingschoolbus.org.

References (in order that they appear):
http://www.walkingschoolbus.org

Alexander, Leslie M.; Inchley, Jo; Currie, Candace (2005), "The Broader Impact of Walking to School Among Adolescents: Seven Day Accelerometry Based Study", British Medical Journal 331: 1061–1062.

Mendoza, J.A.; Watson, K.; Baranowski, T.; Nicklas, T.A.; Uscanga, D.K.; Hanfling, M.J., "The walking school bus and children’s physical activity: A pilot cluster randomized control trial", Pediatrics 128 (3): 537–544.

http://www.livescience.com/18886-obese-cities-list-2011.html.
 

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/noii/