Physical Activity

Federal Resources, Curricula and Toolkits

- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers reports, policies, programs and more on physical activity.

- Fitness.gov is run by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition and includes resources and tips on how to bring fitness and fun to your community.

- Let’s Move! Active Communities is a component of Let’s Move! that encourages children and adults to get moving in their communities!

- Let’s Move Outside encourages youth and families to take advantage of outdoors parks and public lands in cities, towns and communities across the country, including millions of acres of National forests and trails.

- Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Plus (PALA+) promotes healthy lifestyles by encouraging people to take the challenge and commit to a life of physical activity and healthy eating!

Community Resources, Curricula and Tools*

- The Adventists InStep for Life toolkit contains resources, ideas and tools for healthy eating and physical activity in congregations, schools and communities.

- Every Body Walk is a storehouse of ideas, stories and videos focused on getting the public walking.

- Joint Use provides resources that help organizations negotiate joint-use agreements to share indoor and outdoor play spaces like gymnasiums, athletics fields and playground.

- KaBOOM! works to end “play deserts” everywhere by helping communities design and build their own dream playground.

- Movin’ Mania! is the Bon Secours Virginia Health System’s community-wide effort to reduce childhood obesity and encourage children to form healthy habits for life.

- The National Council on Aging is a national non-profit that strives to improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged, and offers links to intergenerational activities that support community wellness.

- Playworks is a national non-profit that provides training and technical support for schools and youth organizations to create safe, healthy and inclusive play and physical activity to low-income schools at recess and throughout the school day.

- National Physical Activity Plan is a set of policies, programs, and initiatives produced by a private-public sector collaborative that aims to increase physical activity in all segments of the American population.

- The Walk to Jerusalem is an “imaginary” trip to Jerusalem that encourages congregations to increase their physical, spiritual and emotional health and offers a tracking model to log miles walked.  It was developed by St. John Providence Health System parish nursing.

- Hindu Perspective on Yoga  is offered by Hindu American Seva Charities for anyone seeking to learn more about this practice of honing mind, body and spirit.

Communities on the Move!*

- Let’s Move! Communities on the Move Video Challenge: Watch the videos made by faith-based and neighborhood organizations highlighting the work they are doing to make their communities or congregations places of wellness.

- LAX 4 LIFE is a free, four-day overnight camp for Native American youth that utilizes partnerships with local government agencies and corporate sponsors to encourage physical activity.

- NashVitality works with partner organizations to make Nashville, TN a healthier, greener and safer city.

- Vive tu Vida (Live your Life) helps Latino community members in New York City live healthy and joyful lives through salsa and yoga classes, volunteer work, and health education projects.

- The National Latino Children's Institute's Salsa, Sabor y Salud is a series of eight sessions aimed to improve awareness of habits leading to better nutrition and increased physical activity for Latino families with children 12 and younger.

- Beyond the Ball is a Chicago-based group’s summer program that brings local kids together to play sports in underutilized spaces in their neighborhood.

- Michigan’s Safe Route to Schools Program works with community partners to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school safely.

- Step into Cuba has established a coalition of community partners and volunteers in Cuba, New Mexico who work together to build safe walking trails and facilitate social walking groups to promote physical activity and wellness.

- Girls Inc. strives to increase opportunities to make sports participation an important part of girls’ lives with programs like Sporting Chance.

- Plymouth United Church in Spring, Texas stays physically active by taking an Instant Recess break during its service.

- The Boys & Girls Clubs of America broke the Guinness World Record for jumping jacks!

- Onslow Memorial Hospital in North Carolina's Lighten Up Onslow is a free, community-wide weight loss program that gathers residents in 4-person teams that compete to win prizes and and improve participants' fitness levels. Program participants have collectively lost over 5,800 pounds.

- St. Joseph Health System's Healthy for Life is a comprehensive effort to provide children, youth, schools and communities with the tools and resources they need to help them maintain healthy lifestyles. The campaign includes curriculum-based physical education programs and funding for supplemental physical education in schools that lack resources.

*The materials compiled and posted here are offered for your information and reference only and are not intended to represent the best or only approach to any particular issue nor an endorsement of any one practice. Copyright in posted materials belongs to the respective owners, whether or not a copyright notice appears on the screen displaying the materials.