Feet first pathway to fitness

BEN CAMPBELL/Manukau Courier

STEPPING OUT: Ian and Odette Armstrong walk daughter Hannah, 5, to Waterlea Primary School for the Feet First challenge.

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Kids are being encouraged to get out of the car and back on to the pavement as part of a new nationwide walking project.

Feet First is a walking programme run by schools and overseen by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

For the past two years it’s been run as a week-long annual event for more than 440 schools throughout New Zealand.

This year though the Feet First challenge is to get kids walking to school at least once a week, every week.

At Waterlea Primary School in Mangere the teachers have decided to lead by example.

Two days a week their new walking club sets off at 7am for a 45-minute walk.

They’re also trying to raise awareness among parents by asking them to drop older kids off a block or two away from the school gate and putting walking reminders in newsletters.

Principal Margaret Palmer says their goal is to become a walking school.

And while it’s early days yet teachers have already started asking the students how they can become a walking school.

There are also plans to use resources on the Feet First website which include creating a walking blog complete with pictures and digital videos.

Ms Palmer says one competition they’re really excited about is the chance to have their own book of walking stories published with the help of a professional author, illustrator and editor.

She says the project also gives kids a great opportunity to get out and explore their surroundings.

Regional walking school bus coordinator Sue Kendall says people have become so enchanted by cars they’ve forgotten that "walking is easy, it’s something we can all do".

"This is the first generation of children where walking to school isn’t what they know. So it’s important that we have programmes like Feet First that actively promote walking as a legitimate, cheap way of getting to school."

Ms Kendall hopes if kids start to enjoy walking to school it will encourage them to make other walking journeys.

Aside from addressing health issues such as obesity and diabetes, taking the foot off the pedal and putting it on the pavement reduces congestion around schools, cuts carbon emissions and saves money.
It’s also a great chance for kids to chat to their family about what’s going on in their world, she says.

For more information see www.feetfirst.govt.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News