This might be a little out of season but in the spirit of new year’s resolutions, let’s agree to encourage our kids to walk NYC in 2026. Whether you are inspired to walk home from school, travel by foot to the supermarket, adventure in one of New York’s amazing parks, or take your family across the Brooklyn Bridge, there is always a way to get out and walk our great city.
Walking is a wonderful and efficient form of exercise. Walking briskly provides significant health benefits similar to biking or running. These include benefits to heart health, bone health, metabolic health, and mental health (ADHD, cognition and anxiety). In addition, becoming a great walker as a child creates lifelong good habits and additional health benefits throughout your child’s life.
As a rule, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children 6-17 years of age engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to strenuous exercise every day. If you and your children hit these numbers, congratulations! If you don’t, that’s cool too. You are still deriving significant benefits with any level of brisk walking. So if your child walks 15 minutes a day, celebrate those 15 minutes instead of knocking your kids for not reaching a specific number.
Finally, when possible, make it a fun family activity. The modeling, social connection, and creation of walking culture in your family goes a long way to creating life long walkers.
See you in the park!
