Study: Walking to School Helps Kids Concentrate

Do you drive your kids to school, even when they could walk? Giving them a ride could actually be putting them at a disadvantage in the classroom, according to a new study out of Denmark.

A survey of about 20,000 Danish kids between the ages of 5 and 19 found that kids who walk (or bike) to school scored better on tasks that involve concentration than those who were driven or bused to school, or took public transportation. That little bit of pre-classroom exercise appears to aid focus even more than eating breakfast-- and the effect lasts for up to four hours.

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In 1969, about half of all kids in the U.S. walked to school, but now only about 13 percent do, according to Safe Routes to School National Partnership. While many parents drive because the route to school is either not safe for little pedestrians or they just live too far, some take the car because it seems like less of a hassle. However, getting kids out the door a little earlier (and enduring whines about how it’s soooo far) may just be worth the better performance in school. 

Do you kids walk to school? Leave a comment.