Leaders of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) have joined a broad coalition of experts to support the National Physical Activity Plan, a sweeping initiative to improve public health.  The Plan, which officially launched early in May at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., outlines strategies for motivating people in every community to become and stay physically active and to remove the barriers that may stand in their way. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information on the Plan, go to www.physicalactivityplan.org.

The Plan calls for policy, environmental and cultural changes to help all Americans enjoy the health benefits of physical activity.  The vision is that all Americans are physically active and live, work and play in environments that facilitate regular physical activity. Supported by a wide range of public policy recommendations, the Plan is the product of a 10-month, public/private collaboration of experts in diverse fields.
NRPA seeks to engage Americans in healthy, active lifestyles through physical activity, healthy habits, recreation, and an appreciation for and connection to the outdoors. NRPA co-chaired the Parks, Recreation, Fitness and Sports section of the National Physical Activity Plan, and worked in collaboration with other national organizations for its drafting. In addition, NRPA is a member of the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA), which has been charged with leading the implementation of the plan.
Barry Ford, the NCPPA president, shared, "Implementing the policy changes recommended by the plan will help make the choice to be physically active the easy choice.  The plan will inspire and guide the decisions of policymakers at every level and in every field, so that being physically active becomes second nature for most Americans."
NRPA is co-leading Strategy Four of the Plan, which aims to "Increase funding and resources for parks, recreation, fitness and sports in areas of high need."
"Parks and recreation centers are essential to providing safe, close-to-home opportunities for Americans to stay physically active and lead healthy lifestyles," said Barbara Tulipane, CEO of NRPA. "With the launch of the National Physical Activity Plan, our communities can harness our collective power and provide both increased space and opportunities for physical activity and recreation. This will move our nation closer to both the Administration's and NRPA's goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation and combating chronic disease in adults."
Experts involved with the National Physical Activity Plan said the initiative goes well beyond just telling people to exercise.  "We are encouraging a new way of thinking about lifestyle, activity, mobility and general physical fitness," said Russell Pate, Ph.D., chair of the National Physical Activity Plan.  "It's well established that physical activity brings manifold health benefits, but we need to change people's behavior.  The Plan provides a roadmap for change, addressing everything from the education of health professionals to zoning laws, school policies and workplace wellness programs."
The Plan is, in part, an answer to America's alarming rates of adult and childhood obesity and decreasing levels of physical activity.  Research has shown that physical activity and exercise can help prevent and treat obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, depression, bone disease, cancer and other diseases.  If implemented, measures called for in the National Physical Activity Plan could significantly improve public health, cut health care costs and reduce health disparities.
The Plan presents a call to action with specific strategies for each sector, for example:
• Education: Develop and implement policies requiring school accountability for quality and quantity of physical education and physical activity
• Health Care: Make physical activity a patient "vital sign" that all health care providers assess and discuss with patients
• Transportation/Planning: Local, state and federal agencies will use routine performance measures and set benchmarks for active travel (walking, biking, public transit)
• Recreation: Enhance the existing parks and recreation infrastructure with effective policy and environmental changes to promote physical activity
• Business/Industry: Identify and disseminate best practice models for physical activity in the work place
For more information about NRPA and the role of parks and recreation in the National Physical Activity Plan, contact Stacey Pine at 202.887.0290 or