Physical Education vs. Physical Activity
Physical Education
School physical education programs offer the best opportunity to provide physical activity to all children and to teach them the skills and knowledge needed to establish and sustain an active lifestyle.
Physical education is based on a written and sequential curriculum that is aligned to standards for physical education.
Current research indicates that increasing physical education time does not negatively impact academics, and in some cases, students perform better academically.
Physical Activity
Experts recommend that children and youth participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day and that a variety of activities be offered to ensure that youngsters can find an activity they enjoy.
Schools should insure that students at all age levels take part in at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Regular physical activity, even modest forms, has significant health benefits for students. Because students spend many hours in school, it is an ideal place to provide physical activity.
Physical activity should not be confused with physical education or exercise.
Physical activity in an educational setting is defined as behavior consisting of bodily movement that requires energy expenditure above the normal physiological (muscular, cardio respiratory) requirements of a typical school day.
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