by Ma. Teresa Baniaga

Created on: April 22, 2009

Walking or stroller

Walking is an inexpensive exercise but one that gives most if not all the benefits of a gym membership. It is highly recommended for adults of all ages and for all fitness levels. If it is so, it is also highly recommended for toddlers and young children who are already able to walk. Strollers are useful for certain purposes but it should not be the only resort for moving our young children from one place to another.

Before the advent of strollers or push chairs, children were able to move around by just walking, weren't they? Why should it be any different nowadays? With incidents of child obesity on the rise due to a sedentary lifestyle and the popularity of unhealthy foods, walking might just be the answer to a lot of health problems besetting our young ones.

If we are to be honest about it, a stroller is as much a convenience for the child as it is for parents or carers, isn't it? Yes, it is sometimes challenging to coax a child to walk and walk faster when they need to. It is always better to have them strapped onto the stroller and pushed by adults who are in a hurry to get to their destinations.

In the long term, however, children who are trained to walk rather than to ride in a stroller will reap more health benefits. The exercise they derive from walking gives them better appetite in the next meal and will also tire them enough to have a good night's sleep or a power nap anytime of the day. They will surely burn off all the fats and calories they take in through those sweets, candy bars and other high energy foods. Aside from that, walking also improves their agility, as their muscles and bones become stronger and get used to moving and walking and running.

Letting young children walk also trains them for a lifetime of fitness and healthy living, as it will be an activity they will always love to do at whatever age they will be. This alone is enough reason for us adults to instill the love of walking in their young minds.

There is also the companionship that a child and his carer experience as they walk together, at times hand in hand, and enjoy the scenery or the places they are walking along. There are only a few activities more refreshing to a jaded soul than walking with a little child and seeing the world through their eyes. So, it is not only beneficial for the young ones but also for us adults.

As mentioned earlier, a stroller has its own purposes, like when it is raining or the child is poorly or unwell. But overall, it should be walking that's the first option and the stroller used only when really necessary.

Before leaving the house with a child on foot, make sure that they are fitted with appropriate footwear and clothes that are best suited to the weather or temperature. An umbrella or a raincoat will come in handy as well, depending on the prevailing weather.

With these basic requirements, you are good to go on that walk with your precious little angel.

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