Including More Physical Activity in North Carolina High Schools (2015)

Undergraduate: Erica Brownlow

Faculty Advisor: Patrick Akos
Department: Exercise & Sport Science

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According to the CDC, high school students are recommended to participate in at least 225 minutes of weekly physical activity (PA), but studies reveal that only 17% of high school students meet these recommendations. There are many barriers for students to engage in PA outside of school, and the current North Carolina policy is that high school students complete 1 credit in health and physical education in order to graduate. Although there are many arguments claiming that students need to spend more time learning core subjects such as math and English, the short- and long-term benefits of implementing more PA into the school day outweigh the benefits of adding more time learning other subjects. Failure for students to meet PA requirements has problematic long-term effects because students are not developing healthy lifestyle habits, and this has contributed to the current obesity epidemic in the United States. Right now, 2/3 of American adults are overweight/ obese, and taking steps to change this for future generations should be a primary concern of this nation. Several studies have provided evidence to suggest that PA has a positive effect on psychological variables, weight status, musculoskeletal pain, balance, blood pressure, and adiposity. There is also evidence for a correlation between the engagement in daily PA and improved academic performance. Therefore, the implementation of a new policy needs to be considered that requires all students to engage in daily PA.