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The walk to school needs to
be safer to improve our children's happiness
OVER ½ of parents in the North West
see a noticeable improvement in their children's happiness after they walk to
school, new research has found.
National charity Living Streets conducted research with parents of primary
school children in the North West and found that half see an improvement in
their child's mood (58%) and behaviour (48%) after they've done physical
activity (60 minutes a day). Yet, just 21% of boys and 16% of girls get the recommended daily
amount of physical exercise and a 33% of children are overweight or obese by
the time they leave primary school. Schoolchildren in the UK are some of the
unhealthiest and unhappiest in the world and walking is one of the easiest and
most accessible ways of maintaining a healthy weight and reducing stress levels.
Walking to school has been shown to improve children's concentration, help them
feel more alert and achieve better grades than those who are driven; now
parents are highlighting that it can improve mood too. 56% said that they saw an
improvement in their child's happiness after the walk to school.
As Living Streets' Walk to School Week, that runs until 20 May 2016, gets underway, Jenny Wiles,
Living Streets Director (North), says:- "Not only are we experiencing a
childhood obesity crisis, we're also facing a rise in mental health and
wellbeing problems. We know that keeping active is a major part of the solution.
We must prioritise ways of encouraging physical activity if we want today's
children to become healthy adults. The walk to school is a free, easy and
accessible way for parents and their children to achieve this. Sadly, just 46%
of primary school children walk to school compared to 70% of their parents'
generation. We must reverse this decline."
Living Streets' research shows that parents in the North West also feel the
benefits of the walk to school along with their children. 57% said they feel
healthier for walking their kids to school and 37% said they feel happier after
walking in. 36% also said it helps them to feel less stressed and 70% said that
it's a great time to spend with their children.
Of the North West parents surveyed whose children don't walk to school, 47% said
that they would like them to walk to school. However, congestion and unsafe
driving outside the school gates overwhelmingly deter parents. A huge 58% said
that vehicles driving too quickly was their greatest worry when it came to the
school run and 34% cited overcrowding and unsafe parking (42%).
Wiles continues:- "Something needs to change so that more children and
parents feel safe walking to school. This is one sure way of increasing the
amount of exercise youngsters are getting and is vitally important if we want to
improve their health, and cut congestion and pollution."
Living Streets is the UK charity for everyday walking. Last year 400,000
children took part in Walk to School Week.
Living Streets wants to see the government fulfil a previous commitment to
getting 55% of primary school children walking to school by 2025.
Walk to School Week also plays host to:- 'Happy Shoesday' on Tuesday, 17
May 2016. Children and staff at schools around the country will be wearing the shoes
which make them the happiest, each donating £1 to Living Streets. The money
raised will go to the charity's work with schools and local communities, and
their campaign work to make UK streets safer for everyone. |
