Physical Activity Guidelines for Young Children

Abstract

In 2008, the first federally approved PhysicalActivity Guidelines for Americans¹ were released, and this action clearly demonstrated that promotion of physical activity is becoming a public health priority in the United States. The guidelines provide well-documented recommendations regarding the types and amounts of physical activity needed for health benefits. Separate sets of recommendations were provided for adults, older adults, and children and adolescents. The age range designated for children and adolescents was 6 years to 17 years. Notably, no recommendations were included in the Physical Activity Guidelines for children younger than 6 years.