Top Things to Know: The National Physical Activity Plan

1. In 2005, 31% of US adults met the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and about 24% of US adults reported no leisure-time physical activity. In 2013, only 20.9% of adults met the Physical Activity Guidelines and 30.5% of American adults reported no leisure time physical activity.¹
2. Physical inactivity is a global health concern. Physical inactivity increases the risk developing coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, and osteoporosis and contributes to approximately 334,000 deaths in the United States annually and more than 5 million deaths worldwide. It is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide.
3. By contrast, regular physical activity has a wide number of health benefits for a wide variety of disease conditions and enhances quality of life for both adults and children.
4. The National Physical Activity Plan was launched in 2010 with initiatives aimed at creating a national culture that supports physical activity in all segments of the American population with the goal of improving health, preventing disease and disability, and enhancing quality of life.
5. The Plan includes 231 recommendations and best practices across eight distinct societal sectors to shift the culture towards greater physical activity: Business and Industry; Education; Health Care; Mass Media; Parks, Recreation, Fitness, and Sports; Public Health; Transportation, Land Use and Community Design; and Volunteer and Non-Profit. Each sector has priority strategies for implementing the Plan.
6. Many factors contribute to physical inactivity, including community planning and transportation, changes in school curriculum and shifting leisure time from active to inactive (e.g., screen time).
7. The American Heart Association’s 2020 Impact Goals includes physical activity as one of the key metrics for defining and monitoring ideal cardiovascular health in the US population.
8. The American Heart Association has been actively involved in supporting and contributing to the National Physical Activity Plan. AHA urges its 22.5 million volunteers and members to act locally, regionally, and nationally to promote increased physical activity and structured exercise in daily lives.

References

1. Mozaffarian D, et al; on behalf of the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2015 update: a report from the American Heart Association [published online ahead of print December 17, 2014]. Circulation. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000152.