HHS releases updated physical activity guidelines

The Department of Health and Human Services today updated its physical activity guidelines for Americans, the first since the guidelines were released in 2008. The update includes new guidelines for children ages 3 through 5 and updated guidelines for youth ages 6 through 17, adults, older adults, women during pregnancy and the postpartum period, adults with chronic health conditions, and adults with disabilities. Currently, only 26 percent of men, 19 percent of women, and 20 percent of adolescents meet the federal guidelines. “The new guidelines demonstrate that, based on the best science, everyone can dramatically improve their health just by moving – anytime, anywhere, and by any means that gets you active,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir, M.D. “That’s why we need to come together as a nation to get Americans moving.”