Kids need to walk more

Doctors are prescribing walking, but Americans can't fill the prescription.

Here’s what doctors have to say about walking:

1. Prevent obesity

2. Prevent heart disease

3. Prevent stroke

4. Prevent high blood pressure

5. Prevent cancer

6. Prevent diabetes

Here’s some more of what doctors have to say about walking:

1. Improve cardiovascular fitness

2. Improve muscle endurance

3. Improve energy

4. Improve mood

5. Improve cognition

6. Improve memory

Here’s what schools have to say about walking:

1. Walk to your family car or the school bus each morning

2. Walk to your family car or the school bus each afternoon

Here’s what I have to say about walking:

Andy Boenau @Boenau

DOCTOR: Your kids need to walk more. Walking is healthy. SCHOOL: Please use carline. Walking is dangerous. POLITICIAN: Why would I support traffic calming? Nobody walks.

There’s nothing controversial about saying Americans are stuck in their cars all the time, hardly walking anywhere. Our population is suffering with an incredible amount of mental and physical health problems that can be tied directly to the built environment. 

America is a car culture driven by parents. There are prescriptions to heal these woes, but the first step is admitting the contributing factors.