Physical Activity Levels of High School Students

Healthy People 2020 recommends 60 min. a day 7 days a week of aerobic exercise for teens. What is it now (self reported)?

Nationwide, 15.3% of high school students met the HP 2020 objective for aerobic activity. A higher percentage of male (21.9%) compared with female (8.4%) students? Combined with muscle activity, only about 12% of today's teens meet the HP 2020 objective.

Physical Activity Levels of High School Students—United States, 2010, July 27, 2011, 306 (4): 367 — JAMA

But here's the phrasing you need to look out for--it's where the money is. This will be a cash cow for every city block grant, non-profit community organization and probably even churches. The KEY phrase is "multisector approach." NEPLB. No exercise plan left behind.

These strategies are being included in programs such as the First Lady's Let's Move! campaign, CDC's Communities Putting Prevention to Work program, and the Safe Routes to School program. Additionally, the National Physical Activity Plan identifies the need to use a multisector approach involving schools, communities, families, and the private sector to facilitate integrated approaches to increasing population activity levels. Continued efforts to implement these evidence-based strategies and programs will help to meet the HP 2020 objective target for aerobic activity as well as the targets for muscle-strengthening activity and both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities (once these targets have been set based on findings from the 2011 national YRBS). Public health efforts to improve participation in aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities among U.S. high school students might be most relevant for female students, students in upper grades, and students with obesity.