Children & Walking

September 21, 2007

More children are overweight today than they were 20 years ago and one third of all children (some as young as 3 and 4) have elevated cholesterol levels. Thirteen percent of school-age children exercise less than twice weekly and the average child watches 25 hours of television a week.

The period from birth to age 25 is the prime growth stage, and exercise enhances the growth cycle by making all areas of the body stronger. It also prevents children from being fat later in life, since most of our fat-storing cells are created during these early years.

According to a Child’s Locomotor Development the average age you started walking with help was at 11-12 months old. By your 14th month, you were walking alone, by the 17th month you were able to walk sideways and backwards; at 21 months you were walking upstairs with help and by two years of age you were able to walk upstairs and downstairs alone leading with the same foot!

By the age of two, children can walk very fast, averaging about 170 steps per minute. Their stance becomes narrower to accommodate this speed. They can climb up and down stairs unaided, although they tend to lead with the same foot, instead of alternating feed as adults do. Walking is a beneficial exercise for youngsters because it strengthens the heart, lungs, and bones but is gentle on the joints and is a noncompetitive social activity. Walking energizes children, increases their attention span, and calms any hyperactivity.

A recent federal study found that children with active parents are active themselves and tend to be more physically fit. Up to the age of eight, children tend to expend energy in bursts, which match their attention spans. Walking suits younger children better, not only because it lets them stop and explore along the way, but also because it keeps them active and improves their motor skills. Walking can be done with other kids and doesn’t seem like exercise. If parents push physical fitness on their children making it another “chore”, like picking up toys or making a bed, their children will never develop a positive attitude toward exercise.

In a survey done by the Metropolitan Life Foundation and Louis Harris & Associates, children in grades 3 through 12 who had at least 3 years of health education were less likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or take other health risks than those children with one year or less of such education. What better way to train our children than walking?