National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, 2023

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 3, 2023)]

[Presidential Documents]

[Pages 27671-27672]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 2023-09536]

Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 85 / Wednesday, May 3, 2023 /

Presidential Documents

[[Page 27671]]

Proclamation 10564 of April 28, 2023

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, 2023

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Forty years ago, our Nation observed its first National

Physical Fitness and Sports Month to promote the

benefits of exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Since then, we have learned more about how physical

activity can improve mental health, reduce the risk of

disease, and foster social connection. This month, we

recommit to making fitness accessible in every

community and encourage all Americans to adopt healthy

habits that strengthen our bodies and minds and

increase the prospect of a long and healthy life.

Studies show that regular exercise can have a dramatic

impact on our health, lowering the likelihood of heart

disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of

cancer. It also improves memory and sleep, increases

our ability to focus, and reduces symptoms of

depression and anxiety. This is particularly important

for people most affected by diet-related diseases,

including communities of color, people living in rural

areas and territories, people with disabilities, older

adults, LGBTQI+ people, military families, and

veterans

s, and reduces symptoms of

depression and anxiety. This is particularly important

for people most affected by diet-related diseases,

including communities of color, people living in rural

areas and territories, people with disabilities, older

adults, LGBTQI+ people, military families, and

veterans. For young people, sports can also be a great

way to build leadership skills, learn teamwork, forge

friendships, and foster mental health.

But too often, obstacles prevent Americans from getting

the exercise they need. Less than half of Americans

live within a half-mile of a park. Adults who work

multiple jobs or take care of family members have less

time to pursue an active lifestyle. Low-income families

typically have less access to safe streets and

playgrounds. Youth sports leagues can be unaffordable,

leaving students with few fitness options if their

school cuts back on physical education.

No one's health should suffer because exercise

opportunities are too expensive or because outdoor

spaces are too far away. That is why I released a

National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to

make America a stronger, healthier Nation. I am also

working with the Congress to make outdoor spaces more

accessible by increasing the number of parks around our

country and expanding opportunities for people to

travel to national parks and other public lands

National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to

make America a stronger, healthier Nation. I am also

working with the Congress to make outdoor spaces more

accessible by increasing the number of parks around our

country and expanding opportunities for people to

travel to national parks and other public lands. We

have partnered with State, local, Tribal, and

territorial governments to improve community access to

parks and spaces within our communities where people

can be physically active. And to encourage a healthy

lifestyle for our Nation's kids, my Administration has

been working with summer schools and after-school

programs to expand physical education opportunities.

We've also invested $800 million into communities

across the country to help redesign roads and make

sidewalks and crosswalks safer for people to walk,

bike, and roll. My Administration has also partnered

with business, civic, academic, and philanthropic

leaders who have committed billions of dollars to take

on projects like improving physical education curricula

and taking children on trips to national parks.

But we must do more. That is why I launched the White

House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy

Communities. This initiative encourages all sectors of

society to make bold and impactful commitments to offer

Americans more opportunities to be physically active in

their schools and communities. I also recently

announced my upcoming appointments to the

[[Page 27672]]

e Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy

Communities. This initiative encourages all sectors of

society to make bold and impactful commitments to offer

Americans more opportunities to be physically active in

their schools and communities. I also recently

announced my upcoming appointments to the

[[Page 27672]]

President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition,

which promotes access to healthy foods and physical

activity for all Americans. Those appointees include

prominent athletes, anti-hunger and nutrition

advocates, health care professionals, and other

leaders.

In addition, my Administration continues to support the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's ``Active

People, Healthy Nation'' initiative, which provides

local governments, schools, and community organizations

with a blueprint to help 27 million Americans become

more physically active by 2027. We are also supporting

the Department of Health and Human Services' ``Move

Your Way'' campaign, which informs Americans about the

newest guidance on staying healthy through physical

activity.

This month, I encourage all Americans to find ways to

be active, whether it is taking a walk or hike, joining

a gym, trying a new fitness class, signing up for a

local sports team, or registering for a community race.

I also call on State, local, Tribal, and territorial

governments, as well as business leaders, to make

physical activity more accessible to all

be active, whether it is taking a walk or hike, joining

a gym, trying a new fitness class, signing up for a

local sports team, or registering for a community race.

I also call on State, local, Tribal, and territorial

governments, as well as business leaders, to make

physical activity more accessible to all. When we

invest in our health, we foster healthy homes, more

productive communities, and a more resilient society

for generations to come.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of

the United States of America, by virtue of the

authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws

of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2023 as

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. I call upon

the people of the United States to make daily physical

activity a priority, to support efforts to increase

access to sports opportunities in their communities,

and to pursue physical fitness as an essential part of

healthy living.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two

thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the

United States of America the two hundred and forty-

seventh.

(Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-09536

Filed 5-2-23; 8:45 am]

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