Date: 01 September 2006 20:14

TOP TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER SCHOOL RUN, WALK OR CYCLE

With the start of a new term Cambridgeshire County Council's Safer Routes To 
School Project are offering top tips to encourage more people to walk, cycle 
or car share on the school run.

The successful project, which has seen increases in safety and walking and 
cycling, is designed to create a safe and healthy environment for children 
and young people, reducing congestion and promoting exercise.

It has already helped 70 schools and is currently working with 34 with a 
further 8 having just joined.

Officers have helped set up walking buses, travel plans and implement 
traffic calming measures.

Research shows that by encouraging children and parents to travel to and 
from school using environmentally friendly forms of transport you can 
improve their health, reduce congestion and increase independence.

Just a few of the benefits of an active journey to and from school include:
* More walking and cycling on the school journey means less vehicles and 
less congested streets around schools - and less stress for those who walk 
and cycle.
* Walking teaches children good road safety habits - ones they won't learn 
when they're in the car all the time.
* Walking to school is great exercise and will help teach children healthy 
exercise habits for life. Parents' health will also benefit!
* Walking to and from school can help to meet the recommended requirement of 
thirty minutes exercise per day.
* Physical activity enhances academic performance, and children get to 
school brighter and more stimulated.
* Walking can help to create safer communities by having more people walking 
around the neighbourhood noticing what is going on rather than being 
isolated in their cars.
* Being active in your daily routine is key to feeling good, reducing stress 
& maintaining a healthy body weight.
* Just telling children road safety rules does not lead to safer behaviours. 
Walking with them and negotiating traffic with them will improve their 
traffic skills.
* Walking home from school is a good opportunity to spend time with 
children, and a great way for them to unwind after school.
* According to recent research, one third of children are not considered to 
be 'active' enough. Too many trips to school by car are a contributing 
factor. ''All young people should participate in one hour per day of 
moderate activity'' (source Wired for Health)
* Walking or cycling to school even a couple of times a week will make a 
healthy difference.

Claire O'Neil, Team Leader for Cambridgeshire County Council's Safer Routes 
To School Project, said: "As the schools go back we hope to encourage more 
people to try a more environmentally friendly way to get to class. Even if 
it's once a week it can help improve your health and reduce congestion. We 
have helped attract hundreds of thousands of pounds of Government funding to 
help schools implement travel plans and we hope to carry on this good work 
this year."

John Reynolds