Physical Activity

Recommendations

Preschool Children
Light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity for at
least 15 minutes per hour
Daily outdoor time
Combination of structured and unstructured physical
activity
Integrate physical activity into activities designed to
promote childrens cognitive and social development

Decrease Sedentary Behaviors in Young

Children

Allow preschoolers to
move freely by
Limit use of
equipment that
restricts movement
Implement strategies
to limit the amount of
time preschoolers
spend sitting or
standing still

Potential Actions
Use cribs, car seats,
and high chairs for
their primary
purpose only.
Implement activities
that limit sitting or
standing to no more
than 30 minutes at a
time; and

Helping Adults Increase

Physical Activity for Children

Parents and those working with young children should

be trained to
Increase childrens physical activity
Decrease childrens sedentary behavior
Educators should be trained in how to counsel parents
about their childrens physical activity

Physical Activity for Adolescents

60 minutes or more of physical activity daily
Aerobic
Moderate- or vigorous-intensity
Vigorous-intensity physical activity at least 3
days of the week
Muscle-strengthening
At least 3 days of the week
Bone-strengthening
At least 3 days of the week
Aerobic Activity:
Minimum 60 minutes per day
Aerobic
Moderate or
vigorous
every day of
the week

Muscle

Bone

Be included on

Be included on at

at least 3 days

least 3 days of

of the week

the week

A Whole-of-School Approach Can Help

Opportunity to improve academic achievement

Majority of youth are in schools for many hours
Schools are critical to the education and health
of children and adolescents
Physical activity promotes health and learning

Physical Education as a Core Subject

Foundational for lifelong health and learning
Physical education in school is
All school-aged children gain to access
physical activity
Provides education to ensure that students
develop knowledge, skill, and motivation to
engage in physical activity for life

Physical Activity for Adults

At least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderateor vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every

week
Muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more
days every week
Needs to work all major muscle groups

Physical Activity:
Examples
Aerobic

Muscle
Work all major
muscle groups

Vigorous-

(legs, hips,

jogging or

back,

running

abdomen,

Moderate-

chest,

brisk walking

shoulders, and
arms)

2 hours and 30 minutes

is only 150 minutes!
1 hour and 15 minutes is
only 75 minutes!
You can spilt up your time
into smaller chunks. It is
whatever works best for
you as long as you are
getting your physical

Muscle Strengthening

Work all major muscle groups

Done to the point of exhaustion
8-12 repetitions per activity (1 set)
Do 2-3 sets
Can be done on the same day as aerobic activity
Lifting weights
Resistance bands
Body weight for
resistance (push-ups)
Heavy gardening
(digging/shoveling)
Yoga

How Many Actually Participated

in Physical Activity?

Works Cited
1. Active Children and Adolescents. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 3, 2015, from health.gov:
http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/chapter3
.aspx
2. Early Childhood Obesity Prevention: Policies Goals,
Recommendations, and Potential Actions. (2011, June
11). Institute of Medicine.
3. 3) Educating the Student Body Taking Physical Activity
and Physical
Education to School. (2013).
National Academies.
4. 4) Physical Activity. (2014, November 25). Retrieved
January 29, 2015, from Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/

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powers

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Healthy
Choices

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