Regular physical activity (PA) is essential for children to be healthy. The national recommendation for PA in school-aged children is a minimum of 60 minutes each day (USDHHS, 2018). All schools should offer a multi-component school-based physical activity program that will help provide the 60 minutes of recommended daily PA time. The cornerstone of their comprehensive school physcial activty program (CSPAP) should be a quality physical education (PE) program for all students in all grades. A quality PE program provides opportunity for students to learn the knowledge and skills needed to become proficient movers and to want to participate in PA for a lifetime.

Other components of a CSPAP, in addition to PE, include:

• PA opportunities for students throughout the school day (i.e. recess, drop-in activities, lunchtime options, movement in the classroom or between class PA breaks).
• PA opportunities for students before and after school (i.e. after school programs and clubs, before school opportunities, intramurals).
• Staff involvement (i.e. wellness programs for school staff, staff support of PA integration for students.
• Family and Community Involvement in a variety of lifetime physical activities, both in participatio and promotion.