The Education Sector of the recently updated National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP, 2023) was developed to assist schools, early care and education centers, and colleges and universities to establish policies and provide programmatic opportunities to support all students in adopting physically active lifestyles. The 2023 Education Sector…

Considering that global physical activity levels in young children continue to decline, planned breaks during the school day provide a unique opportunity to promote the importance of physical activity while also increasing student engagement in movement activities. This article provides information on the benefits of and recommendations for active…

Undoubtedly, the world has seen drastic changes after the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic has also solidified the importance of children's immunity, health, and physical activity (PA). Regular PA is considered an investment for the future, which will increase the quality of life of all people. Specific to COVID-19, evidence suggests that PA…

In my experience, the word dance in physical education has been somewhat of a taboo. Many physical education teachers either choose not to teach dance at all because they do not feel comfortable with it or they struggle to find ways to teach it properly to their students. The teaching dance for understanding (TDfU) model completely changed my…

This Viewpoint looks at Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in physical education and the authors contend that making SEL the primary learning domain for school physical education programs is problematic. The article shares thoughts and provides suggestions about how to re-focus the discourse about the central goals for physical education programs.

The first Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPs) position statement from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) was released in 2008. It was the first document of its kind to recommend increased school-based opportunities for physical activity. The Statement recommended that schools focus on quality…

Regular physical activity provides physical, mental and cognitive benefits for children. However, globally, only 20% of children meet the recommended levels of physical activity and, on average, students sit for three-quarters of the school day. Active breaks are a well-tested component of many school-based physical activity interventions, but…

Novel games can enrich a physical education (PE) curriculum by providing students opportunities to increase their moderate to vigorous physical activity and understanding new game concepts, playing positions and physical skills (Clancy et al., 2007). Quidditch is a relatively new game that includes unique characteristics to enhance an existing…

Since most Americans have spent the majority of their time at home during the pandemic, and those who are parents have spent 18% of the time with their children, it would be wise to spend the time as a family in meaningful projects and activities that reduce sedentary behaviors and advocate the importance of recycling education. This article…

Dancing has been recommended as a suitable home-based physical activity during the quarantine period associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Dancing can reduce sedentary behavior and thereby maintain physical and emotional health. The aim of this article was to provide support to dance, fitness, and/or other health professionals in guiding…

The purpose of this article is to describe the multiple roles of a physical education teachers in a school setting for the promotion of physical activity via the use of the CSPAP framework. The roles are organized and presented using the acronym S.M.A.R.T. (Supervise, Motivate, Advocate, Research, and Teach). Strategies for physical educators to…

Physical activity (PA) policies have the potential to ensure adequate opportunities for children to develop PA behaviors for a lifetime. Examples include mandating that schools provide recess and physical education for a specified amount of time per week; ensuring that physical education teachers are licensed; providing activity breaks in academic…

Islam supports participation in regular physical activity for health. However, various contextual factors related to the school setting, and traditional physical education curriculum and instruction may hinder full student engagement. The article's purposes are to: (1) provide an update on and implications of research conducted with US Muslim…

Recess is ideal for students to accumulate recommended physical activity minutes and work on social-emotional learning skills. However, many students fail to meet national physical activity guidelines, and recess is often withheld from students for a myriad of reasons, including behavioral issues. Helping students build social-emotional skills and…

Physical activity during adolescence is critical for disease prevention and health promotion. Studies show that youth who are incarcerated have lower levels of physical activity than their non-incarcerated peers, higher rates of overweight and obesity in adulthood, and worse general health over a lifetime. Sport programming is a promising…