Physical activity for students is provided through a quality physical education program and complemented by activities before, during, and after school, such as recess; physical activity integrated into academic and performing arts; intramural sports; interscholastic sports; walks and bike rides to school initiatives; special physical activity performances such as field days, gym and fitness nights; activity logs; and fitness challenges.

All students in grades K-12, including students with disabilities and those with special health-care needs, are required to receive physical education instruction, as prescribed by the DoDEA Physical Education Content Standards and course descriptions. All physical education is taught by a certified physical education teacher.

Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

• Children and adolescents should have 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily that include aerobic, muscular strengthening and bone strengthening activities.
• Aerobic: Most of the 60 minutes should be moderate to vigorous activity Muscular-strengthening; As part of the 60 minutes or more muscular strengthening activities should occur at least 3 days of the week
• Bone Strengthening: As part of the 60 minutes more bone strengthening activities should occur at least 3 days a week.
• Visit the Centers for Disease Control Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Adolescents website for more information.

Guidelines for Adults (aged 18-64)

• Adults should do 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
• Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, preferably spread throughout the week.
• Additional health benefits are provided by increasing to 5 hours (300 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.
• Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups performed on 2 or more days per week.
• Visit the US Department of Health and Human Services Physical activity Guidelines for Americans website for more information.

National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)

NASPE recommends that all pre-kindergarten through grade 12 schools implement a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP), to emphasis the importance of physical activity for school-age youth, teachers, administrators and staff.

Schools play an important role in public health. A CSPAP encompasses before, during and after the school day physical activities.

Through a CSPAP, schools can aid in achievement of National public health physical activity recommendations for children and adults.

• Children need to accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity on all or most all days of the week.
• Adults need at least 30 minutes on five or more days of the week.