November 2nd, 2006
Are You Walking Your Children to School?
We’re a good distance into the school year now. If you’re still driving your children to school, it really is time to consider if you live close enough to walk them there instead.
I do this with my own daughter. For me it’s just 10 minutes walk there, 10 back home… hardly more than it would take me to drive it, especially when you consider the time it takes to get everyone into the car, plus the amount of traffic right in front of the school. My neighbor also has children at this school, and one day when we left at the same time, I walked there in less than a minute more than it took her to drive it.
This is such an easy way to get exercise. If your children are young enough for you to walk them to school, and the school is an appropriate distance away, I strongly recommend this option. It takes so little out of your daily routine.
Even beyond the fitness benefits, this is good time with your children. If your life is so hectic that you’re sometimes having trouble finding time to just be with your kids, whether or not you talk about anything that matters, this is a great time to do so.
I know this can be a very hard thing to fit into a busy schedule, especially for parents who work outside the home. Mornings tend to be so rushed. But if you can adjust your schedule the small amount it takes to make this a comfortable thing to do, I strongly recommend it.
Once you make efforts such as this to put simple exercise into your daily life, you’ll realize how much your body is benefitting. No gym membership, no special exercise equipment in your home, yet you’re burning calories and exercising your muscles. Surely that’s worth getting moving just a little earlier in the morning.
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