The P.E. advantage.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Physical education - Brief article

Do you know that 30 minutes of active physical activity during the school day can help control weight, build healthy bones, muscles and joints, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, enhance feelings of well-being and may even improve academic performance?

Yet only one in four U.S. children gets the recommended daily amount of physical activity: 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking, or 20 minutes of vigorous activity. Daily participation in high school physical education classes dropped from 42 percent in 1991 to 28 percent in 2003.

Currently, 48 states call for some type of physical education in schools, but requirements vary and may not define how much RE...