Presidential Document2023-09536
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, 2023
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 3, 2023
Signed
April 28, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 85 (Wednesday, May 3, 2023)</title>
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[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 [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[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.
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(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-09536
Filed 5-2-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 3, 2023.
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