By NCPPA
Healthy People 2020’s Physical Activity Objectives completes a trifecta of physical activity publications for physical activity professionals, advocates and enthusiasts. The first ever publication of a set of science based, government issued Physical Activity Guidelines were released in October of 2008 and May 2010 brought the launch of the nation’s first health plan for physical activity, the National Physical Activity Plan.
The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity is providing the leadership for implementation of the Physical Activity Plan. NCPPA recognized the importance of working to insure that the objectives listed in HP2020 be complementary to those included in the NPAP. Many NCPPA member organizations offered comments on the proposed HP2020 physical activity objectives as did the Coalition itself.
NCPPA recently published our first implementation report; Make The Move, 2010-2011 Implementation of the National Physical Activity Plan. Make the Move details the priorities identified in each of the sectors, states their goals and objectives and how they plan to achieve them and lists a variety of success stores as well.
Many of the physical activity objectives included in HP2020 physical parallel those identified as priorities by the NPAP sector implementation teams. A few examples are included below:
NPAP: Ensure that early childhood education settings for children ages 0 to 5 years promote and facilitate physical activity.
HP2020: Increase the number of States with licensing regulations for physical activity provided in child care.
NPAP: Encourage business and industry to interact with all other sectors to identify opportunities to promote physical activity within the workplace and throughout society
HP2020: Increase the proportion of employed adults who have access to and participate in employer-based exercise facilities and exercise programs.
NPAP: Prioritize resources and provide incentives to increase active transportation and other physical activity through community design, infrastructure projects, systems, policies, and initiatives.
HP2020: Increase legislative policies for the built environment that enhance access to and availability of physical activity opportunities.
The examples listed above are great ideas…but now the time has come to walk the walk rather than simply talk the talk…in other words, work together to make these things happen! Please visit the NCPPA website to sign your organization up to get involved with the implementation of the Nation’s first Physical Activity Plan.
What is your organization doing in the areas listed above to increase the number of Americans achieving the PAG?