The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that children and adolescents participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity (PA) daily, most of it moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and that adults get a minimum of 250 minutes of PA per week.
Less than one-half of adolescent boys and less than one-third of adolescent girls currently meet the 60 minutes of daily PA recommended by CDC (CDC, 2000). More than 60 percent of United States adults do not engage in the recommended amount of PA, and approximately 25 percent of United States adults are not active at all (CDC, 1999). Physical inactivity increases the risk for obesity and its associated chronic diseases. One in three children and one in four adolescents in California are overweight; rates are highest among low-income and some racial/ethnic minority populations. According to a CDC study, poor diet and physical inactivity together may soon become the leading preventable cause of death among Americans.
Studies have clearly shown that PA significantly reduces the risk of chronic disease and obesity, and a wide range of studies have also found that MVPA reduces stress, improves self-esteem, and supports concentration and cognitive function.
A number of recent studies even show that PA can help improve student academic achievement. One study, which compared PA to student grades in core classes such as English and math, found that student scores were highest among those who engaged in vigorous PA for at least 20 minutes a day three times a week.
Recognizing the health and student achievement benefits of PA, many schools in California have incorporated PA into their school days to improve student health by increasing the quality of physical education, expanding after school PA opportunities, structuring recess so that PA is optimized, and integrating PA into the classroom.
