Partnering with Your Local Parks to Improve Physical Activity

When people have access to parks and trails, they significantly increase frequency of physical activity and exercise, leading to improved health and chronic disease prevention. Additionally, lower-income populations and some racial and ethnic populations report poor access as a barrier that limits their use of parks, which correspond to lower physical activity levels among these populations. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is committed to helping communities promote policies and programs that will lead to an increase in physical activity and healthy lifestyles, while also promoting community livability. NRPA's programs, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services, fund several communities to increase physical activity and improve nutrition through policy, systems, and environmental change. These programs have generated a number of best practices, including improvements to school wellness policies, adoption of worksite wellness policies, establishment of smoke-free environments in parks, and establishment of policies that create more walk-able and bike-able communities that promote physical activity and access to nutritious foods. During this session, leaders from local park and recreation agencies will present innovative and successful practices implemented in communities to improve levels of physical activity and reduce incidence of chronic diseases, such as supporting city planning, zoning, and transportation for bicycling and walking, and programs that aim to reduce entry fees for park and recreational facility use. Strategies to increase access to parks by underserved communities in underserved areas will also be shared.