Nationa l Physi cal Activity Tre nds In Childre n

N A T I O N A L P H Y S I C A L A C T I V I T Y T R E N D S I N C H I L D R E N

Today, children today are not attaining the recommended amounts of physical activity, contributing to the increasing rates of obesity and a variety of chronic diseases. Lack of physical activity along with poor nutrition is the second leading cause of preventable death, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).7 Physical activity not only prevents chronic diseases but also improves mood and helps with weight control.8 There is also increasing evidence that physical activity improves academic performance, attentiveness and concentration in the classroom.9,10, 11

There are many ways to promote physical activity among youth, and improving walking and biking to and from school is one of them. SRTS programs can increase students’ daily amount of physical activity and have the potential to decrease the prevalence of students becoming overweight or obese. It is recommended that children get sixty minutes of physical activity a day. Nationally, only 50 percent of high school students participate in any kind of physical activity that increases their heart rate for a total of 60 minutes on five or more days a week.12 A 15-minute walking or biking route to and from school can help students meet much of their recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Walking and bicycling to and from school at a young age also has the potential to instill habits of an active lifestyle that children can take with them into adulthood.

7

Minnesota Department of Health. The Minnesota Statewide Health Improvement Program SHIP Progress Brief - Year 2. Available at http://mn.gov/health-reform/images/WG-PPH-2012-03-16-SHIP-Progress_Brief-Yr2.pdf. Accessed on November 23, 2015.

8

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Physical Activity and Health webpage. Last updated June 4, 2015. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/. Accessed on November 23, 2015.

9

Minnesota Department of Health. Physical Activity: Active School Day. Last updated November 04, 2014. Available at http://www.health.state.mn.us/physicalactivity/activeschool.html. Accessed on February 18, 2016.

10 Active Living Research. “Active Education: Growing Evidence on Physical Activity and Academic Performance”. January, 2015. Available at http://activelivingresearch.org/sites/default/files/ALR_Brief_ActiveEducation_Jan2015.pdf.

11

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance. July, 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/pape_paper.pdf.

12

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1991-2013 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at http://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/. Accessed on January 10, 2015.

P a g e 48 | Chapter 2: About Safe Routes to School (SRTS)