Danish study about the link between walking/biking to school and concentration

[alandjackson]

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/02/kids-who-walk-or-bike-school-concentrate-better-study-shows/4585/


Looks like parents who drive their kids to school might not be doing their kids any favors.

[Lina]

It was interesting to read in the comments about all these cities without sidewalks. The only places I can think about without sidewalks are industrial areas, villages and roads in the countryside as well as major roads.

I would say that the results of the study applies to adults as well. I find it much easier to concentrate those mornings that I have exercised before going to work.

[dragoncar]

Where I'm from, more expensive communities will shun sidewalks because they are "low class" (i.e., used by people who can't afford cars)

Edit:  "your ability to concentrate increases to the equivalent of someone half a year further in their studies"

I didn't know being a half-a-year further in your studies increased your ability to concentrate!

[bogart]

That is interesting, including the part about spatial reasoning.

When I am (gasp!) driving with my kindergartener in the (gasp!) car (we do walk to school), I (not infrequently) ask him if he wants to go this way or that way (we live in a mid-sized town where there are any number of routes to get from one place to another, often without one being an obvious "best" choice), or I'll describe why I'm choosing this route over that route (e.g. some are dreadful around the time schools let out, but fine others), or I'll say, "Let's see where this road goes"  (I also do these things when we're walking or biking, of course, but the point is it's not essential not to be in a car to do them!) and then follow it.  I don't (typically) use a GPS, even if I'm going somewhere "unfamiliar."  It's my hope that these habits are helping him think about how things connect and how we learn about places.  I am kind of amazed (in general) at how many people never turn down a street just to see where it goes.