This downloadable report from the Institute of Medicine is a compilation of information around increasing physical activity in K-12 schools.
- The report is the product of the IOM’s Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment, which was formed to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment and to examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short- and long-term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents.
- The report includes a great deal of evidence about the impacts of physical activity on children’s health and academic performance.
- The report also concludes with a chapter of recommendations, that is inclusive of many areas supportive of Safe Routes to School, including shared use agreements to open school facilities to the communities, school siting policies that encourage locating schools within neighborhoods, and ensuring safe active travel routes for students.
National Research Council. Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2013.
web resource
