Physical Activity Before and After School

Physical activity before and after school includes walking or biking to and from school programs, physical activity clubs, intramural programs (sports organized by the school or community in which any child can participate), interscholastic sports (competitive sports between schools), and physical activity in before-school and after-school extended day programs.^1-2

Encouraging students to be physically active before and after school helps them identify activities they enjoy and might engage in long term.^1-3

Physical activity before and after school can benefit students by⁴:

Increasing their overall physical activity.
Improving their grades and test scores.

Institute of Medicine. Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2013.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Guide for Developing Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2013.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School health guidelines to promote healthy eating and physical activity. MMWR. 2011;60(RR05):1–76.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health and Academic Achievement. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2014.

Page last reviewed: July 27, 2022

Content source: Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion