Physical Activity Resources for Health Professionals

The Physical Activity Resources for Health Professionals section offers information and tools for personnel in state and local health departments, education agencies, universities, community coalitions, organizations that fund public health programs, health care systems, and others who have an interest in or responsibility for increasing physical activity. It provides key reference documents, data and surveillance resources, information to assist you with program planning and evaluation, and ideas for physical activity promotion.

Physical Activity Guidelines

Physical Activity for Everyone
This Web site summarizes the basic information in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans describes the types and amounts of physical activity to achieve substantial health benefits and how to add physical activity to your life.

Fact Sheets for Health Professional from CDC

• Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults [PDF-821k]
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults [PDF-746k]
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Adolescents [PDF-672k]

2008 Physical Activity Guidelines from HHS
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site offers the first-ever "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans." In addition, offers tool kits for health professionals and policy makers, communities and organizations and researches and a blog so you can be part of the conversation.

The Youth Physical Activity Guidelines Tool Kit
A CDC resource for community leaders; physical education, health education teachers and physical activity practitioners.

Other Selected Resources

The Community Guide
The Guide to Community Preventive Services is a free resource to help you choose programs and policies to improve health and prevent disease in your community. The Community Guide includes systematic reviews of interventions in the following areas:

• Campaigns and informational approaches
• Behavioral and social approaches
• Environmental and policy approaches

Cost Effectiveness of Community-Based Physical Activity Interventions
This CDC study with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation used a rigorous economic model developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions, the study found these interventions to be cost-effective; reducing new cases of many chronic diseases and improving quality of life.

Healthy People 2020
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Healthy People 2020 is the prevention agenda for the nation.

The U.S. National Physical Activity Plan is a comprehensive set of policies, programs, and initiatives that aim to increase physical activity in all segments of the American population. The Plan is the product of a private-public sector collaborative. Hundreds of organizations are working together to change our communities in ways that will enable every American to be sufficiently physically active.

U.S. Physical Activity Statistics
What percent of the population in your city and state is physically active? Find out in the physical activity statistics database. Search by demographics and physical activity levels for a metropolitan area, state, or national estimate.

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