How to encourage cycling and promote active school journeys

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We all know that the health advice to any adult is to stay active throughout their lives and to include at least a moderate amount of exercise in our week. This advice applies to children too. Being physically active daily is essential for all kids' healthy growth and development, from babies to teenagers.

Educators have a significant role in nourishing young minds with knowledge and encouraging students to stay active and develop healthy habits that will serve them for a lifetime. According to NHS guidelines, school-age children and young people need at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity daily. One of the most seamless ways to include more exercise into the daily routine is to encourage children to stay active through cycling. And the easiest way to do that? Help kids to start riding a bike to and from school.

Why should we encourage more kids to cycle to school?

Riding a bike has many benefits. Staying active improves physical fitness: it improves cardiovascular health, strengthens bones and muscles, and helps kids improve their motor skills, balance and coordination. Cycling is also good for kids' mental health as it is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety and improve mood and self-esteem. This often means students who cycle to school are more relaxed, happier and better prepared to start the day.

Additionally, promoting cycling to school is also a great way to speak to your students about the environment and their community. Riding a bike is an environmentally friendly way of moving around which can help children develop an understanding of the importance of sustainable transport. Another side of this is that biking makes them feel like they are part of the broader community by contributing to improved air quality and reducing carbon emissions and traffic during the morning school run when it can get very busy. 

How can my school encourage more students to ride bikes to and from school?

One of the barriers to cycling to and from school is the lack of bike storage on the school’s premises. Children and parents can be discouraged from riding a bike if there is no safe place to park it, as damage and theft often happen to bikes. If your school is developing a strategy to encourage more kids and parents to arrive by bicycle, you must plan for safe and easily accessible storage.Installing bike stands, bike shelters, or bike lockers is an inexpensive and efficient way to solve that problem. We also have a helpful bike storage calculator to work out potential capacity.

Another way to encourage cycling in your school is to get involved in national initiatives like Bikeability, which provides cycling training and teaches valuable skills like road safety. Or get kids excited about active school journeys by foot or on wheels by joining the Big Walk and Wheel and winning some prizes.

Cycling is an excellent way to promote physical and mental well-being while teaching valuable life skills such as road safety and environmental awareness. Contact us at Bike Dock Solutions to discuss safe and secure bike storage options for your school.

Bike Dock Solutions is a one-stop shop for bike storage. With years of experience, Bike Dock Solutions offers clients full cycle service - from manufacture to installation of all products. They manufacture standard and bespoke bike racks, bicycle stands and cycle shelters. Bike Dock Solutions has an extensive portfolio of clients with completed projects for schools, universities, local authorities, Transport for London and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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