I was reading the US National Physical Activity Plan which was released in May of this year to help prod the nation to collaborate with all sorts of partners to encourage everyone to get more active in their life. The plans overall vision is: "one day, all Americans will be physically active, and they will live, work and play in environments that facilitate regular physical activity."
The NPAP is quite extensive and involves all segments of the community to encourage everyone to get physically active (not just kids, which is more the focus of our Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant). I thought I'd share the highlights of the NPAP as I think they are useful for us to consider.
The plan is broken into sectors with general ideas for what the sectors can do.
Non-profits: Non-profit members, volunteers, & constituents advocate for policies that support physical activity choices in communities.
Education: Early childhood facilities & K-12 schools provide comprehensive physical activity programs that offer before, during, & afterschool opportunities for daily physical activity.
Schools report on accountability measures for the quality & quantity of physical education & physical activity programs.
School & community partnerships (e.g. sharing facilities) will expand physical activity choices for youth & families
Healthcare: Physical activity is a patient vital sign at healthcare visits.
Physical inactivity is a treatable/preventable condition.
Health care professionals advocate for improved physical activity choices for their schools & communities.
Public Health: A public health workforce trained to lead policy & practices that support physical activity for states & communities.
Broad partnerships between public health, transportation, recreation, education, business, media, non-profits & more work together to improve physical activity choices for communities.
Transportation and Community Planning: Active modes of travel (walking, biking, transit) & health impacts are part of all transportation & community planning at the national, state, & local level.
Employers receive financial incentives to encourage active travel for employees.
Schools are located in neighbor-hoods where youth & families can walk to school.
Parks, Recreation, Fitness & Sport: Safe, affordable, & accessible physical activity
opportunities are available to all people where they work, learn, live, play, & worship.
Professional, amateur, & college athletics programs increase physical activity opportunities for communities.
Open spaces & recreation areas are protected & maintained throughout the US.
Business & Industry: Opportunities to be physically active are part of the work place.
Employer sponsored physical activity programs are provided to all working Americans.
Media: A branded cause campaign for improved physical activity choices serves as a unifying voice for change at the national, state, & local level.
Some great ideas to consider as we implement our overall plan.
And finally, a little food for thought: "Physical activity declines substantially during adolescence: 70 percent of 12-year-olds participate in vigorous physical activity, yet only 42 percent of 21-year-old men and 30 percent of 21-year-old women do so."
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