News and information from the National Physical Activity Plan 07/2015

Recent Progress in the Revision of the NPAP

Last month, the NPAP Revision Executive Committee met in Atlanta to work on revisions and updates to the Plan. During the in-person meeting, recommendations for each of the eight societal sectors and the overarching strategies were extensively reviewed. The NPAPA Diversity Committee also presented comments and concerns regarding issues related to health disparities and equity across all sectors of the Plan.

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New Poll on Sports Participation

According to a recent poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, sport participation in the U.S. declines as children transition to adulthood. Highlights from the poll:

• 73% of adults reported playing sports as a child; however, only 25% continue to play as an adult.
• 48% of parents regularly engage in some form of exercise
• 89% of parents believe that their child benefits from participation in sports (e.g., improved physical and mental health, school/career goals, etc.)

Review the key finding and/or download the full report.

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Research Brief: PE Professionals Play Key Roll in Promoting Activity in Schools

A new research brief from Bridging the Gap reports that continuing education for physical education (PE) teachers may have a positive impact on student’s physical activity opportunities. Specifically, schools that required continuing education for PE teachers were more likely to:

• Offer 150 minutes of PE per week;
• Provide fitness testing in PE classes; and
• Provide other opportunities for physical activity during the school day.

Additionally, the findings indicated that only 21% of elementary schools offered daily PE and approximately 75% of schools provided ≥20 minutes of daily recess. Data were pulled from a nationally-representative sample of U.S. public elementary schools during the 2009-2010 and 2011-12 school years. Download the research brief for more details.

 Report: Physical Literacy: A Model, Strategic Plan, and Call to Action

The Aspen Institute Sports and Society Program, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has released this new report which identifies 10 key sectors and more than 150 strategic ideas to improve physical literacy among U.S. youth. Read the full report.

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Report: Designed to Move Active Cities

This new report from Designed to Move serves as an excellent guide for city leaders to create an active city.

 The report includes:

• A comprehensive summary that shows an active city can be a low-cost, high-return on investment that impacts more than just health.
• Proven interventions in the parks, urban design, transportation, schools and workplace settings where city leaders can focus investments.
• Specific recommendations for city leaders to make any city an active city.
• Case studies of bright spots across the globe of cities already designing for physical activity.
• An in-depth list of tools and resources to help guide the design of an active city.

Download the Active Cities Full Report, Executive Summary and Infographic.

Celebrating ADA’s 25th Anniversary – Physical Activity and Disabilities!

This July marks the 25th anniversary of the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA), the bill in which our nation committed to eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities.

While much has been accomplished in the past two decades, this monumental celebration for the ADA also represents “an opportune time for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to begin to think about addressing the high rates of physical inactivity among people with disabilities” according to Dr. Jim Rimmer, University of Alabama Birmingham. In a commentary published earlier this year, Rimmer pointed out that recent estimates suggest that more than 50 percent of adults with disability are not meeting the U.S. physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes per week.

In response to these low levels of activity, Rimmer highlighted the urgent need for us to establish new approaches designed to integrate individuals with disabilities into physical activity programs. As a field, we must work together to reach the hardest to reach populations.

The NPAPA urges everyone – individuals and organizations – to join us in celebrating the 25th ADA anniversary. Recommit to the ADA today and sign the Pledge On! campaign!