Physical Activity Guidelines and Recommendations

Promotion of physical activity has been a recognized and resourced goal of some major elements of American society for many decades, including the education and community recreation sectors. Physical education has been an institution in American schools since the late 19th century, and since the mid-20th century, most communities have provided physical activity and sports programs through publicly funded recreation commissions. However, within the health care and public health sectors of society, physical activity promotion has not been a traditional priority. But times are changing, and over the past 30 years, the status of physical activity has gradually risen within the health care and public health arenas. Tangible, significant, and highly visible evidence of this trend is the release in 2008 of the first formal ...