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7
The Effectiveness of 
Physical Activity and 
Physical Education 
Policies and Programs: 
Summary of the Evidence
Key Messages
•
Regular and quality physical education can help children and 
adolescents achieve the recommended amount of daily vigorous- 
or moderate-intensity physical activity and improve fitness and 
potentially body mass index (BMI). Quality monitoring systems 
are crucially needed to enable monitoring and evaluation of these 
important outcomes.
•
Recommended levels of vigorous- or moderate-intensity physical 
activity for youth are more likely to be achieved and sustained in the 
school setting if students, administrators, teachers, and supportive 
policies and environments are integrated.
•
Recommended levels of vigorous- or moderate-intensity physical 
activity for children and adolescents are more likely to be achieved 
in schools where the physical environment, the school’s programs, 
and the school’s staff all facilitate greater amounts of physical 
continued

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Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
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