Federal government announces new physical fitness guidelines; fewer than one in three Amer

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Federal government announces new physical fitness guidelines; fewer than one in three Americans meet standards

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New federal guidelines on exercise advise starting sooner to get children active. Physical activity guidelines used to start at age 6, but the advice released Monday recommends involving kids as young as 3 in active play.

Less than a third of Americans, and only one in five teenagers, meet new physical fitness guidelines issued by the federal government Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

The guidelines, which officials said could be easily achieved by most, recommend the same level of exercise as the original standards released in 2008 but without the expectation that the physical activity occur in 10-minute blocks. 

They call on adults to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity and two sessions of muscle-strengthening activity each week. Children ages 6 through 17 should get at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per day and three sessions of muscle-strengthening per week.

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Moderate-intensity activity includes walking briskly, riding a bike on level ground with few hills and playing doubles tennis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Muscle-strengthening activity includes lifting weights, "heavy gardening," such as shoveling, and yoga.

Cardiologist William Kraus, a Duke University medical school professor who served on the advisory committee for the guidelines, said the 10-minute block was removed because it could have discouraged some people who didn't have that much time from moving.

He noted that parking farther from entrances and taking the stairs count as exercise. 



Some people might have thought, "If I can’t do 10 minutes, it won’t count, so why should I do it?" he said. 

The guidelines emphasize decreasing sitting time for adults. Children younger than 6 years old were included for the first time. 

The guidelines and related reports, published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, say the failure to meet the recommended levels of aerobic physical activity leads to nearly $117 billion in annual health care costs and 10 percent of all premature death. 

HHS called on employers, the medical care industry, youth sports leaders and technology companies to help get people to be more active. 

Still, the lack of what Reebok's director of social responsibility Kathleen Tullie called "actionable or accountability standards" reduce the impact the guidelines can have, she said. 

"There is no mechanism in place requiring kids to move during school and holding school’s accountable," said Tullie, founder and executive director of BOKS, a school-based fitness program. "We still prioritize the core academic subjects over the health and wellness of our children. This has to change."

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