Throughout the pandemic, Americans have found innovative ways to keep fit through sports or other forms of physical activity. During National Fitness and Sports Month, we renew our commitment to staying active and encourage all Americans to participate in activities that improve their well-being and lead to healthier lifestyles.
Thanks to our dedicated healthcare professionals and the millions of Americans who have received vaccinations and boosters, schools, gyms, and businesses have reopened across the country. The stadiums are once again filled with fans cheering their favorite sports teams and athletes.
But in the past few years, rates of physical activity have fallen — especially among groups at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Socio-economic inequalities, including a lack of opportunities to participate in sports and fitness programs, have exacerbated the problem. The environments in which people live, learn, work and play also affect physical activity. Other barriers to regular physical activity, such as time, money, safety, and accessibility, affect the health and well-being of children and adults in every society. We must seek fair solutions to ensure that all Americans live more active and healthy lives.
Fitness and sports are not only good for our physical health, they also improve our overall quality of life. Experts agree that even small amounts of physical activity can make a big difference to a person’s physical and mental health. For example, it can reduce the risk of chronic disease, blood pressure, and anxiety while improving sleep — among other health benefits.
Every sector has a role to play in removing barriers and increasing opportunities for Americans to participate in physical activities. That’s why I’ve issued an executive order to renew the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, focusing on the importance of mental health related to fitness and nutrition. Through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Active People, Healthy Nation” initiative, we are offering an evidence-based blueprint to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. Additionally, the Move Way campaign informs Americans about activities that They can do to stay healthy with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
This month, let’s all find ways to become more physically active in our daily lives. Take a walk or hike in your favorite park, try a new fitness class, join a local sports team, or volunteer in a community race. Whatever physical activity you choose, fitness will lead to a better and healthier life for all Americans.
Now, accordingly, I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, hereby proclaim May 2022 as National Fitness and Sports Month. I call on the people of the United States to make daily physical activity a priority, support efforts to increase access to sporting opportunities in their communities, and pursue fitness as an essential part of healthy living.
In witness thereof, I place my hand here on the twenty-ninth day of the month of April, the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-two, and the year of the independence of the United States of America in the two hundred and forty-sixth year.
Joseph R. Biden Jr.
