Free Range Kids are more active and have healthier hearts

Sustrans have published new evidence showing that kids who travel actively - that is cycle or walk - are more active in other areas of life too.

Research published in Preventive Medicine found that 'interventions increasing activity in specific behaviours may increase activity overall', in other words, enabling children to do more active travel can lead them to play actively and socialise more.

Sustrans are drawing attention to the research to promote their Free Range Kids programme. They also report research in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health on the relationship between children’s cycling and cardio-vascular disease. The research shows that 'participants who did not cycle to school at baseline and who had changed to cycling at follow up, were fitter, had better cholesterol/HDL ratio, better glucose metabolism, and a lower composite CVD risk factor score than those who did not cycle at either time point.'

In short, cycling or walking to school makes you more - not less - likely to take other forms of exercise and it's good for your heart.

Sustrans’ Free Range Kids campaign is putting pressure on local and national governments across the UK to create communities where children can travel more safely and independently, and play outdoors. The campaign calls for 20mph speed limits in residential areas and investment in walking and cycling routes, particularly to school – two important ways of making it possible for children to walk and cycle to school.

• Sign the Free Range Kids pledge calling for 20mph speed limits in residential areas and investment in walking and cycling routes. particularly to school.
• More on the research: Children’s health and active travel - the evidence continues to mount