Exercise

Nearly half of American youths ages 12-21 are not vigorously active on a regular basis. About 14 percent of young people report no recent physical activity. Inactivity is more common among females (14 percent) than males (seven percent) and among Black females (21 percent) than White females (12 percent). (1) Promoting physical activity in school is crucial to encouraging girls to reap the health benefits of regular exercise and to develop good lifelong exercise habits. The Report Card examines states' policies on physical education (PE) requirements for high school students.

  • Exercise

      Strength Of Policy 2007 Change From 2004
    ALABAMA Limited Policy Same
    ALASKA Limited Policy Same
    ARIZONA No/Harmful Policy Same
    ARKANSAS Limited Policy Same
    CALIFORNIA Limited Policy Same
    COLORADO No/Harmful Policy Same
    CONNECTICUT Limited Policy Same
    DELAWARE Limited Policy Same
    DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Limited Policy Same
    FLORIDA Limited Policy Same
    GEORGIA Limited Policy Same
    HAWAII Limited Policy Same
    IDAHO No/Harmful Policy Worse
    ILLINOIS Meets Policy Same
    INDIANA Limited Policy Same
    IOWA No/Harmful Policy Worse
    KANSAS Limited Policy Same
    KENTUCKY Limited Policy Same
    LOUISIANA Limited Policy Same
    MAINE Limited Policy Same
    MARYLAND Limited Policy Same
    MASSACHUSETTS (1) Meets Policy Same
    MICHIGAN Limited Policy Better
    MINNESOTA Limited Policy Better
    MISSISSIPPI No/Harmful Policy Same
    MISSOURI Limited Policy Same
    MONTANA Limited Policy Same
    NEBRASKA No/Harmful Policy Same
    NEVADA Limited Policy Same
    NEW HAMPSHIRE Limited Policy Same
    NEW JERSEY Meets Policy Same
    NEW MEXICO Limited Policy Same
    NEW YORK Meets Policy Same
    NORTH CAROLINA Limited Policy Same
    NORTH DAKOTA No/Harmful Policy Worse
    OHIO Limited Policy Same
    OKLAHOMA No/Harmful Policy Same
    OREGON Limited Policy Same
    PENNSYLVANIA Limited Policy Better
    RHODE ISLAND Meets Policy Same
    SOUTH CAROLINA Limited Policy Same
    SOUTH DAKOTA No/Harmful Policy Same
    TENNESSEE Limited Policy Better
    TEXAS Limited Policy Same
    UTAH Limited Policy Same
    VERMONT Limited Policy Same
    VIRGINIA Limited Policy Same
    WASHINGTON Limited Policy Same
    WEST VIRGINIA Limited Policy Same
    WISCONSIN Limited Policy Same
    WYOMING No/Harmful Policy Same
     
    Meets PolicyMeets Policy 5  
    Limited PolicyLimited Policy 36  
    Weak PolicyWeak Policy 0  
    No/Harmful PolicyNo/Harmful Policy 10  
    Better Better 4  
    Worse Worse 3  
    Same Same 44  
    • 1. Massachusetts was graded incorrectly in the 2004 Report Card. It should have received a "meets policy" instead of a "no/harmful policy." Since there is no change in the individual state law for this state, the comparison with 2004 is based on the underlying data, that is, there is no change from 2004.

    Does the state require students in grades nine through twelve to take four years of physical education in order to graduate?

    States that require PE for every year of high school enrollment receive a "meets policy." States that require PE but do not specify the amount receive a "limited policy." States that either have no PE graduation requirement or specify that the local district should determine the requirement receive a "no policy."

    Data Source: Exercise (years), 2006.

    National Association of Sport and Physical Education, Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA (Reston: National Association of Sport and Physical Education, 2006).
     

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, A Report of the Surgeon General: Physical Activity and Health – Adolescents and Young Adults, available at http://fitness.gov/adoles.html; National Association of Sport and Physical Education, Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA (Reston, VA: National Association of Sport and Physical Education, 2006), available at http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/ShapeOfTheNation/PDF/ShapeOfTheNation.pdf.