“With the start of a new school year comes the opportunity to establish new, healthy routines.
But statistics show the vast majority of school-aged kids still aren’t getting enough physical activity – only five per cent of children and youth in Canada between the ages of five and 19 reach the daily minimum of 12,000 steps.
Adding a walk to and from school is a simple way to help reverse this trend, says George Mammen, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto.
Mammen has worked closely with Professor Guy Faulkner and conducted extensive analysis of active transportation – including his most recent publication, Putting school travel on the map. And Mammen’s work on how walking as little as 20 minutes a day can help stave off depression made headlines around world. (Read more about depression and walking.)
Below, Mammen dispels some myths and fears about the walk to school and explains the many advantages of taking the car out of the morning commute.”
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