Neighborhood Support of Physical Activity on the Rise

New Report Shares Information on Communities and Physical Activity

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares good news: we're making progress in creating and enhancing places to be physically active in our communities. More than half of US youth live in neighborhoods that support physical activity.

Today 54.5% of youth have access to parks or playground areas; recreation centers, community centers, boys’ and girls’ clubs; and walking paths or sidewalks, according to the State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, 2014.

While we applaud the progress made to date, more work is needed to ensure opportunities increase for all youth and adults to be physically active. Communities and schools are addressing this need with initiatives like:

Joint-use agreements - giving community residents access to school physical activity spaces and facilities outside of normal school hours.
Complete Street policies – formalizing intent to plan, design and maintain streets so they are safe for all users including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit riders and those in wheelchairs.

Regular physical activity is critical to overall health and fitness. With community support, the number of Americans who gain health benefits from physical activity can increase. Find out what your state is doing to support physical activity.

More Information

See what communities can do to help make being physically active easier.
Find out about the health benefits of physical activity.
Get state-specific information on physical activity behavior and related policy and environmental supports.