The benefits of regular physical activity are endless – longer lives, lower risk of disease and obesity. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “nationwide, only about half of adults and less than a third of youth meet the aerobic physical activity guidelines”.
However, in our state, “…54.2 percent of adults meet the aerobic physical activity guidelines”.
One of the major hurdles to physical fitness for children is access to places for physical activity. Whether it is a ball field or recreational center, our children need a safe place to stretch their legs. The CDC reports that 61 percent of Washington kids have access to “…parks, community centers, and sidewalks” in their neighborhood. Furthermore, 49 percent of Washingtonians live “…within a half mile of a park”.
We may be ahead of the national averages, but we can always do better. While Washington state gets kudos for incentivizing recess and walking or biking to school, there is room to improve in physical education classes and creating uniformity with national standards.
To learn more about what your community can do to incentivize fitness, follow this link.