Celebrate Winter Walk Day!

Editor’s note: This post was updated on April 14, 2021.

In many provinces, from Ontario to Alberta, Winter Walk Day is in the first week of February. It’s the perfect opportunity for parents and kids to get outside together and stretch those legs!

It’s often easy to overlook that one of the simplest ways to get exercise is to go for a walk. The benefits to both children and adults are many. Walking maintains healthy bones and joints and can lower blood pressure. It helps control weight, develop muscle, and reduce body fat. And it has been shown to improve mood, foster a sense of well-being, and even curb symptoms of anxiety and depression.

As if all that weren’t enough, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 150 minutes of brisk walking a week can help adults reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

The organization also suggests children should walk for an hour a day, every day.

For some suggestions on how to celebrate Winter Walk Day, along with tips on how to dress appropriately to keep your head and extremities warm during Canada’s cold winter season, visit Active & Safe Routes to School. The site is the Canadian wing of an international effort to encourage children to walk and bike to school, and offers lots of great suggestions for parents.