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Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent this bulletin at 03/13/2013 05:01 PM EDT

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March 13, 2013

Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth

The Physical Activity Guidelines (PAG) for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) reviewed evidence-based strategies in five settings for increasing physical activity among young people aged 3 to 17 years. Providing opportunities for physical activity can help children and adolescents meet the recommended levels.

The following five settings or places reviewed in the report include schools, preschool and child care centers, communities, home, and health care.

Multicomponent Interventions

Research shows that school physical activity programs have greater success when multiple strategies are put into action together; such as:

Improve the quality of physical education by increasing lesson time, ensuring that the lessons are delivered by well-trained specialists, and emphasizing instructional practices that provide substantial moderate to vigorous activity.
Provide classroom activity breaks.
Develop activity opportunities before and after school including active transports.
Build skills for how to be physically active.
Provide after-school activity space and equipment.

Strategies for physical education are to—

Develop and implement a well-designed physical education curriculum.
Enhance instructional strategies for physical education. Provide teachers with appropriate training.

Strategies for active transport include encouraging parents to walk or bike with their kids to school and working with school staff to promote this form of physical activity for families.