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participation in physical activity.

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
98
 
Educating the Student Body
•
Sedentary behaviors such as sitting and television viewing contribute 
to health risks both because of and independently of their impact on 
physical activity.
•
Health-related behaviors and disease risk factors track from child-
hood to adulthood, indicating that early and ongoing opportunities 
for physical activity are needed for maximum health benefit.
•
To be effective, physical activity programming must align with the 
predictable developmental changes in children’s exercise capacity 
and motor skills, which affect the activities in which they can suc-
cessfully engage.
•
Frequent bouts of physical activity throughout the day yield short-
term benefits for mental and cognitive health while also providing 
opportunities to practice skills and building confidence that pro-
motes ongoing engagement in physical activity.
•
Distinct types of physical activity address unique health concerns 
and contribute in distinct ways to children’s health, suggesting that 
a varied regimen including aerobic and resistance exercise, struc-
tured and unstructured opportunities, and both longer sessions and 
shorter bouts will likely confer the greatest benefit.
T
he behaviors and traits of today’s children, along with their genetics, are 
determinants of their growth and development; their physical, mental, 
and psychosocial health; and their physical, cognitive, and academic per-
formance. Technological advances of modern society have contributed to 
a sedentary lifestyle that has changed the phenotype of children from that 
of 20 years ago. Children today weigh more and have a higher body mass 
index (BMI) than their peers of just a generation earlier (Ogden et al., 
2012). Behaviorally, most children fail to engage in vigorous- or moderate-
intensity physical activity for the recommended 60 minutes or more each 
day, with as many as one-third reporting no physical activity in the pre-
ceding 5 days (CDC, 2012). This lack of participation in physical activity 
has contributed to a greater prevalence of pediatric obesity, a decrease in 
fitness (e.g., flexibility, muscular strength, cardiorespiratory capacity), and 
a greater risk for disease (Boreham and Riddoch, 2001; Eisenmann, 2003; 
Malina, 2007; Steele et al., 2008). (See Box 3-1 for an overview of the rela-
tionship between physical activity and physical fitness.)

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Relationship to Growth, Development, and Health
 
99