All children should walk or cycle at least part of the way to school, it has been recommended, as figures show physical activity levels are at a ten-year low. Schools, local authorities and the NHS should encourage all forms of walking and cycling to improve the health of the nation, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence has said, The Guardian Reported.

Specifically children should be encouraged to walk and cycle to school as, currently, fewer than three per cent children between the ages of two and 15 get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

However there have been a series of high profile rows over parents allowing their children to cycle to school alone and some schools have even banned bicycles over health and safety fears. Bicycles are used for just two in 100 journeys in Britain compared to more than a quarter in the Netherlands and a fifth in Denmark, the guidance said. The draft guidance said teachers, school travel advisors and police officers should, "Develop and implement school travel plans that encourage children to walk or cycle all or part of the way to school."

'Walking or cycling champions' should be appointed and proper secure parking for bikes should be established. All children should receive safety training, the report said. Walking buses and schemes such as 'walk once a week' all support children to be more active, it added.

Similar actions can be implemented in offices and workplaces by encouraging staff to walk, use the stairs instead of the lift, and cycle to work schemes which provide discounted bikes. Recreational cycling should also be addressed with the provision of sponsored rides, off road routes, BMX courses and virtual races, it said.

Pedometers could be issued to help motivate people to walk more and one-to-one support packages could be formulated with text messages reminders, maps of walking routes and feedback, it was recommended. Increasing the number of journeys made on foot or by bike would reduce air pollution, which is a significant cause of death in Britain, as well as raise physical activity levels, the guidance said.

Professor Mike Kelly, Director of the Centre for Public Health Excellence at Nice said: "Lack of physical activity is contributing to a wide range of health problems in England, so it is important that there is comprehensive, evidence-based guidance in place that can help address these issues. "Increasing the amount of time people walk and cycle can have a positive impact on health, the environment and the economy.

"We want to encourage people to walk or cycle for any local journey that really doesn't need the car, and also to get out in the fresh air and walk or cycle for fun.