Reaching the Goal of 60 Minutes of Physical Activity for Children

Physical activity has many health benefits in children, including increased physical fitness, reduced body fat, reduced risk of heart disease, stronger bones, and improved mental health. Despite overwhelming evidence of the health benefits of physical activity, most American youth are not meeting the national recommendation of 60 minutes per day. Lack of physical activity has contributed to high obesity rates among children.   There are many ways of increasing physical activity among children, but identifying specific ways to achieve the 60-minute goal has not been easy. This study estimates the number of minutes in physical activity that different approaches, such as walking or biking to schools, increasing physical education time, or having access to parks, could provide for children.

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