Although academic achievement was not significantly related to physical education enrollment, higher grades were associated with vigorous physical activity, particularly activity meeting recommended Healthy People 2010 levels.

Technological and societal changes have impacted the types of physical activities performed by U.S. youth. These data are helpful in understanding the factors associated with the rise in obesity, and in proposing potential solutions.

Compared with all other variables, SES appears to have the strongest association with academic achievement. However, it also appears that high fitness levels are positively associated with academic achievement in school-aged youth.

In pregnant women, the ACT and DW had more error than the NL and HJ. On the basis of these results, the NL and HJ should be considered for use in further research studies and physical activity programs that focus on walking during pregnancy.

The results demonstrate that an ActiGraph GT3X+ lux threshold of 240 can accurately assess indoor and outdoor conditions of preschool children in a free-living environment.

The purpose of this study was to investigate blood glucose changes, as measured by a continuous glucose monitoring system, that occur in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) following an acute bout of moderate-intensity walking after consuming a high-carbohydrate/low-fat meal. This study found that moderate-intensity walking induced greater postprandial glucose control compared with sedentary activity and it appears that moderate-intensity activity may be used to reduce postprandial glucose levels in women with GDM.

During early childhood, the preschool years serve as a formative time for the development of movement skills and healthy, active behaviors. Currently, one fifth of children in this population are overweight or obese and only half of the children participate in sufficient activity to meet recommendations. Physical activity guidelines for preschool children include both structured and unstructured activities of various intensities, limitations on sedentary behaviors, fundamental motor skill competence, and the inclusion of caregivers to facilitate activity. The majority of US children are enrolled in preschool programs, so this environment has the potential to significantly influence young children’s activity levels. Factors that have been associated with physical activity levels within the preschool setting include the influence of caregivers, the preschool environment, outdoor play, and motor skill development and competence. This review evaluated 16 publications in order to examine whether these factors had a significant impact on physical activity in the preschool setting. The findings from this review suggest the use of a multicomponent model, including the factors evaluated, may be the optimal strategy to increase activity levels in preschool children. Policy related to these factors should be created and implemented in order to facilitate optimal physical activity environments for preschool children.

It appears that the PACER elicits similar peak exercise responses compared with a treadmill GXT. The PACER can also be administered for fitness and functional capacity assessments in healthy and clinical populations.