National President’s Challenge A Healthier Nation: It’s Everyone’s Challenge!
Talking Points
What is the National President’s Challenge?
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is launching the first ever National President’s Challenge on March 20th—the first day of spring.
The National President’s Challenge is a 6 week physical activity challenge to get America moving—30 minutes a day, five days a week! It’s designed to help people live healthier by finding activities they really like to do.
Our theme is “A Healthier Nation: It’s Everyone’s Challenge!”
How can people sign up?
Signing up for the Challenge is easy and free. All you have to do is go to www.presidentschallenge.org to register.
Registration begins March 1st and goes until April 3rd.The Challenge kicks off on March 20th and will conclude May 15th, during National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
You can sign up as an individual or in groups with your family, friends or co-workers.
Once you register, you’ll be able to choose from more than 100 activities and record all of your activity in a daily tracking log.
Why is it important?
People of all ages benefit from physical activity—including children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
As many of us know, physical activity is a key ingredient to an overall healthy lifestyle. In addition to building and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints, it reduces the risk of many serious diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes—diseases that often result from being overweight or obese.
More than 130 million American adults—or two-thirds of our nation—are overweight or obese. Equally as startling, 17 percent of children and adolescents are overweight and another 16.5% are at risk for becoming overweight.
Being physically active is essential to achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. Adults should bet getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity—and children should aim for 60 minutes of activity—five days a week.
Despite the proven benefits of physical activity, more than 50% of American adults do not get enough to provide health benefits. In fact, 25% of adults are not active at all in their leisure time.
Also alarming—more than a third of young people in grades 9–12 watch three or more hours of television on an average school day.
It’s time for our nation to Rise to the Challenge! We are challenging all Americans to get moving and join the National President’s Challenge.
Who can participate?
The National President’s Challenge is truly for Americans of all ages and abilities
You may be familiar with the President’s Council from that fitness test you did in school. Remember those sit ups, push ups and chin ups?
What began as a national youth fitness test has grown up. Today, the President's Challenge goes beyond the school gym and into everyday life with a variety of programs to help you be active.
Now it really is everyone’s challenge—youth can still participate, but so can adults of all ages and abilities.
Mayors and governors are also encouraged to challenge their states, cities and towns to participate. In fact, we will be recognizing the state with the highest participation to create a friendly competition.
What tips can the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports offer Challenge participants to get their 30 minutes a day?
Build activities into your day
Stand up and walk while on the phone
Take stairs instead of elevators
Park farther from the office and walk the difference
Get off the bus a stop earlier and walk the difference
Take a long walk instead of a long lunch
Take a walk break instead of a coffee break.
Choose activities you enjoy (consistency is more important than intensity)
Start with small steps. Walk 2000 steps a day; work up to 10,000 steps or more a day.
Get active with your family. An active family is a healthy family.
Parents and caregivers: set an example for kids and make sure they get the recommended 60 minutes.
What is the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports?
The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is an advisory committee of volunteer citizens who advise the President about physical activity, fitness, and sports in America.
Through its programs and partnerships, the Council promotes health, physical activity, fitness, and enjoyment for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through participation in physical activity and sports.
