NFL & American Heart Association Encourage Kids to Get Active at School

September 22, 2023 

The National Football League (NFL), its 32 Clubs and the American Heart Association (AHA) have teamed up with Discovery Education to provide students with more ways to engage in fitness activities during this school year. As part of the League's national youth health and wellness platform, NFL PLAY 60, students now have additional resources on the NFL PLAY 60 app through its Fitness Break broadcasts initiative. And educators can further enhance their students’ fitness through ready-to-use standards-aligned lesson plans created by Discovery Education’s curriculum experts. 

The NFL and AHA launched PLAY 60 in 2007. Since then, the program has helped millions of students stay engaged with their health and fitness through digital resources, the broadcast series and the interactive app. According to the 2022 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, only 21% of American young people aged 6-17 meet the guidelines of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. There’s also a significant drop in physical activity levels with increasing age, 42% for 6–11-year-olds and 15% for 12–17-year-olds. Additionally, 44% of children from high-income households report playing a sport on a regular basis compared to 23% of children from low-income households.

Play 60 Fitness Break broadcasts allow teachers to register their classroom for 15 minutes of fun physical activities with the AHA and NFL. The interactive program teaches students the importance of good health and well-being and encourages them to get active – helping them on their way to reaching the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' recommended 60 minutes of vigorous movement each day. It also works to maximize reach and bridge accessibility and relevancy gaps.

For the 2023-2024 school year, there are three new free digital broadcasts corresponding with major events in the NFL schedule. The first released yesterday, featuring the New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers and the Detroit Lions. The next will release in 2024 on February 8 and April 25. Each broadcast will emphasize the importance of physical activity and other topics to boost students’ long-term health.

The NFL and AHA have worked together for 16 years to promote and support kids’ whole-body health. Rooted in AHA science, the Fitness Break broadcasts help students learn more about how physical activity supports their overall wellness. The free PLAY 60 Exercise Library includes on-demand videos and exercises from all 32 NFL teams. These materials can be used to continue the physical activity of the Fitness Break broadcasts year-round, building a solid foundation for student success through good physical and mental health. 

Students will also have the opportunity to get active through a new weekly series of NFL PLAY 60 Movement Moments, which will launch in October and run through December. The Movement Moments feature NFL teams playing each week throughout the season in head-to-head exercise videos from the NFL PLAY 60 Exercise Library. Classrooms will be asked to vote on their favorite team or video at the end of each week and the three classrooms with the most votes at the end of the Movement Moment series will be eligible for a $1,000 grant to use for physical activity equipment. One national winning school, receiving an additional $1,000 grant, will be named in the Super Bowl Fitness Break broadcast. Registration for the Movement Moment weekly matchup is available on www.heart.org/nflplay60.

“Being active for at least 60 minutes a day can drastically improve a child’s mental and physical well-being, better preparing them to succeed in school. At the American Heart Association, we are proud to be part of a program that promotes health and encourages students all over the country to be active,” said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association.