Healthy Fitness features - April 2008

On your bikes, kids!

"Don't be a taxi-driver – let your kids cycle to school." That’s the message to parents during Bike to School Week on May 5-9. As well as improving their fitness, cycling boosts children’s confidence, independence and self-esteem, say the campaign’s organisers.

According to Cycling England, 43 per cent of all primary school children are now taken to school by car, while the proportion of children walking or cycling to school has declined dramatically. With research also showing an alarming increase in the number of children who are overweight and taking too little regular exercise, efforts to get more kids cycling are gathering momentum.

"No other single activity simultaneously improves public health, reduces childhood obesity, tackles local road congestion and emits zero carbon emissions – yet at the same time doubles up as a crucial life skill and enjoyable pastime," says Cycling England, whose mission is to get more people cycling, more safely and more often.

Bikeability: cycling proficiency for the next generation

Secretary of State for Transport Ruth Kelly recently announced an investment of £140 million in cycling over the next three years as part of the government's drive to tackle obesity. Some of this will pay for Bikeability cycle training for thousands of 10-year-olds. The Bikeability scheme was launched in March 2007 and is now rolling out across England.

"By 2012, I expect 500,000 more children to have been able to learn the necessary skills so that they cycle safely and responsibly," says Ms Kelly. "This will give parents reassurance that their children are suitably equipped to use the roads and enjoy their bikes."

Cycling England's vision is that, within five years, no child should leave primary school without the opportunity to have Bikeability training. To gain a Bikeability award, children will have to take part in National Standard for Cycle Training, which has three levels – from learning basic bike-handling skills in level one to being able to cope with all traffic conditions by level three.

One of the main obstacles to getting more children cycling to school is parents’ concern about safety. The number of children killed or seriously injured on bikes has dropped by 55 per cent over the last decade, says Cycling England, yet many parents are still reluctant to allow their children to ride their bikes unaccompanied away from the vicinity of their homes.

Alongside Bikeability training, additional investment is being made in initiatives such as Safe Routes to Schools and the National Cycle Network in an attempt to alleviate parents’ fears about safety and establish cycling as a healthy form of transport for children.

Safe cycling tips for children

Personal trainer Lucy Wyndham-Read develops fitness programmes for people of all ages and is a big proponent of cycling as a form of exercise for kids. "Cycling is such a fun way to get fit and is very safe as it’s low-impact cardiovascular activity," she says. "It’s also great for improving flexibility, co-ordination, muscular strength and endurance."

Lucy offers some tips to help children cycle safely:

• If your child is wearing footwear with laces, check they’re not tied too tight as this can cause the foot to cramp while on the pedal.
• Make sure the bike has somewhere to store water as children must keep hydrated while cycling, even more so during the summer months.
• Make sure the saddle is adjusted to the right height for the rider. If the seat is too low this can cause a lot of strain on the child?s knee, and if it?s too high it can cause the legs to lock when they pedal. Simply stand your child beside the bike and adjust the saddle level to hip height. Not only is this safer, it also makes cycling easier and fun.

Cycling England has produced a Cycling to School information sheet for parents, which is available on its website at http://www.cyclingengland.co.uk/youth.php. For more information about Bike to School Week, visit http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_to_school.php.

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