Physical Activity

Guidelines for all students

Physical activity for students is provided through a quality physical education program and complemented by activities before, during, and after school, such as recess; physical activity integrated into academic and performing arts; intramural sports; interscholastic sports; walks and bike rides to school initiatives; special physical activity performances such as field days, gym and fitness nights; activity logs; and fitness challenges.

All students in grades K-12, including students with disabilities and those with special health-care needs, are required to receive physical education instruction, as prescribed by the Physical Education Content Standards and course descriptions. All physical education is taught by a certified physical education teacher.

Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

• Children and adolescents should have 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily that include aerobic, muscular strengthening and bone strengthening activities.
• Aerobic: Most of the 60 minutes should be moderate to vigorous activity Muscular-strengthening; As part of the 60 minutes or more muscular strengthening activities should occur at least 3 days of the week
• Bone Strengthening: As part of the 60 minutes more bone strengthening activities should occur at least 3 days a week.
• Visit the Centers for Disease Control Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Adolescents website for more information.

Guidelines for Adults (aged 18-64)
 

• Adults should do 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
• Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, preferably spread throughout the week.
• Additional health benefits are provided by increasing to 5 hours (300 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.
• Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups performed on 2 or more days per week.

National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)

NASPE recommends that all pre-kindergarten through grade 12 schools implement a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP), to emphasis the importance of physical activity for school-age youth, teachers, administrators and staff.

Schools play an important role in public health. A CSPAP encompasses before, during and after the school day physical activities.

Through a CSPAP, schools can aid in achievement of National public health physical activity recommendations for children and adults.

• Children need to accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity on all or most all days of the week.
• Adults need at least 30 minutes on five or more days of the week.