Walking to school helps children concentrate in lessons better and may even reduce the need for medication for conditions like ADHD, new research suggests.
A survey of more than 2,500 pupils showed that 80 per cent of those who walked to school reported feeling calmer and more able to concentrate when they got there. They also said they felt healthier and looked better.
The survey was carried out by Henley-based health technology company Intelligent Health, which said that the link between exercise and school performance would also benefit children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The firm’s founder William Bird said: ‘Physical activity improves brain elasticity, which allows children to learn.
‘Exercise also releases endorphins, which make you more relaxed.’
He told the Daily Telegraph that research in America, where children with ADHD are encouraged to play in parks, has shown such a calming effect from exercise that children were ‘almost back to normal’.
ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders, whose common symptoms include a short attention span, restlessness, and difficulty controlling behaviour.
Mother-of-three Emily Parker, 39, of Hammersmith, takes her children to school on foot, covering a mile each way every day.
She said: ‘I started noticing that on the days we did walk to school, rather than drive, the children had much better days. They behaved better, ate better, and even slept better when they came home.
‘Now we do it every day unless the weather is awful – I have no doubt there’s a link between exercise and doing better at school.’
Other benefits reported by the children who took part in the survey included making new friends. However only three in 10 teachers agreed that walking helped children to learn more.
Psychologist Oliver James said: ‘I’m all in favour of children walking to school but ADHD is best understood as a form of anxious attachment, not something caused by lack of exercise.’
