American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Physical Activity During School

Physical activity during school provides opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities, to practice what they've learned in physical education, work towards the nationally-recommended 60+ minutes of daily moderate-vigorous physical activity, and prepare the brain for learning.  Opportunities include:

• Physical activity integrated into classroom lessons
• Physical activity breaks in the classroom
• Recess (elementary school)
• Drop-in physical activity (e.g., after eating lunch) (middle and high school)

Alignment with National Public Health Campaigns 

National Physical Activity Plan

• Provide access to and opportunities for high-quality, comprehensive physical activity programs, anchored by physical education, in Pre-kindergarten through grade 12 educational settings.  Ensure that the programs are physically active, inclusive, safe, and developmentally and culturally appropriate.
• Develop and implement state and school district policies requiring school accountability for the quality and quantity of physical education and physical activity programs.

White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President 

• State and local educational agencies should be encouraged to promote recess for elementary   students and physical activity breaks for older students, and provide support to schools to implement recess in a healthy way that promotes physical activity and social skill development.
• State and local education agencies should be encouraged to provide opportunities in and outside of school for students at increased risk for physical inactivity, including children with   disabilities, children with asthma and other chronic diseases, and girls. 

Healthy People 2020 Objectives  

• Increase regularly scheduled elementary school recess in the United States.
• Increase the proportion of school districts that require or recommend elementary school recess for an appropriate period of time.

Expert Organizations/Agencies/Websites

• National Association for Sport and Physical Education
• Playworks
• Peaceful Playgrounds
• Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play
• PE Central (search on "recess")
• American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation

National Standards, Guidelines, and Reports

• Recess for Elementary School Students
• The State of Play: Gallup Survey of Principals on School Recess
• Recess Rules: Why the Undervalued Playtime may be America's Best Investment for Healthy Kids and Healthy Schools

Practical Resources

• Integrating Physical Activity into the Complete School Day
• Energy Balance 101
• Brain Breaks
• California Project Lean-Jump Start Teens 
• Active Academics
• Fit Kids Activities
• Maximizing Recess Physical Activity
• Play On! Playground Learning Activities for Youth Fitness
• 10 Simple Activities to Encourage Physical Activity in the Classroom
• Take 10!