The community-wide goal of HEALSLO is that all children in SLO County will be healthier through healthful eating and regular physical activity.

To accomplish this goal there are many things we can do. First we need to remember that simple life changes can make a difference.  or instance, you can change your level of physical activity by taking a family walk in the evening after dinner, walking your child to school or a nearby park rather than driving her, spending time playing catch or Frisbee versus playing on the computer. Although our heredity may influence how and where we gain weight on our body, the bottom line is there needs to be balance between the number of calories we eat and the number of calories we use.

Find something you like and make it part of your life. Get a friend involved or join a walking group. The nutrition and physical fitness decisions we make today will affect our health tomorrow.

• What percent of kids ride their bikes to school now?

  Less than 1 percent

• What percent of kids rode their bikes in the 1970s?

  Over 60 percent   (Surface Transportation Policy Project, Caught in the Crosswalk)

• How long does it take to walk ¼ mile or bike 1 mile?

  10 minutes (Pedestrian Federation of America)

• What percent of morning traffic is parents driving their children to school?

  20-25% (Department of Environment and Transport Regions, London, England; Marin CMA)

• True or False: Fifty percent of children that are hit by cars near school are hit by cars driven by parents of other students. (Washington State Department of Transportation).

  True

From: Safe Routes to Schools
PO Box 201, Forest Knolls, CA 94933
Tel: 415-488-4101.
E-mail: wkallins@igc.org
www.saferoutestoschools.org

Guidelines for Good Pedestrian Behavior

Guidelines for Children:

• Look both ways before crossing (left, right, left again)
• Walk, don’t run across the street
• Cross only at safe corners, even if you walk farther
• Choose the route with fewest streets to cross
• When possible, cross streets at the crosswalk and where there are traffic signs and signals
• Obey traffic signs and signals
• Face traffic when walking on roads without sidewalks
• Watch for turning cars
• Keep from walking between parked cars
• Refuse to ride with strangers

(U.S. Department of Transportation)

Below are some resources that can help you find a place to walk, take a hike, or just enjoy nature. The books and the New Times listed below may be at your local library.