Walking to school may help reduce children’s stress throughout the day, the results of a new study suggest.
This reduction in stress reactivity could prevent increases in heart rate and blood pressure that can lead to cardiovascular disease later in life, explained the University at Buffalo researchers.
The study included 20 girls and 20 boys, aged 10 to 14, who underwent testing in a behavioral research laboratory. Half the children took a simulated ride to school they sat in comfortable chairs and watched a 10-minute slide show that included images of a suburban neighborhood and ended with an image of a suburban school.
The other children did a one-mile walk on a treadmill at a self-selected pace and wore a book bag that contained 10 percent of their body weight. As they walked on the treadmill, the children saw images of a suburban neighborhood on a screen.
