National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, 2023, 27671-27672 [2023-09536]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[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. 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. 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]]

                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. 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]
Billing code 3395-F3-P