Exercise and Fitness Guidelines for Elementary and Middle School Children

In 1986, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport released results showing that American youth were not in good physical condition and that schools needed to reemphasize physical education. Within the last 15 years, researchers have obtained reliable data on the effects of physical exercise and activity on the physiological functions (including cardiorespiratory fitness) of children. As a result, basic guidelines for exercise and fitness have been developed in the following areas: exercise prescription, alternative fitness activities (walking and aerobics), considerations for teachers and principals, and testing. In this article, we discuss those guidelines and some of the research on which they are based.