Visit the National Academies Press online and register for

OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
School physical activity programs are needed so that schools can 
ensure they are providing students with 60 minutes or more of vigorous- 

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Approaches to Physical Activity in Schools
 
265
or moderate-intensity physical activity per day. Physical activity programs 
are neither equivalent to nor a substitute for physical education, and both 
can contribute meaningfully to the development of healthy, active children 
(NASPE and AHA, 2012). The former are behavioral programs, whereas 
the latter are instructional programs. Box 6-1 presents the Healthy People 
2020 objectives for non–physical education physical activity opportunities 
in school settings. 
The following sections describe various non–physical education oppor-
tunities for physical activity in the school environment. The discussion 
includes relevant policies, barriers, and enablers.