title: Health-related fitness in children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The American Physical Therapy Association Section on Pediatrics developed a task force to summarize fitness guidelines for children and adolescents. The purposes of this article were to review components, measurement methods, and consequences of physical fitness, and to summarize evidence-based activity recommendations for youth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health-related fitness is comprised of body composition, flexibility, cardiorespiratory endurance, and muscular strength and endurance. Each of these components is reviewed in terms of definition, assessment, normative values, and recommendations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The task force supports the guidelines of the US Department of Health and Human Services, which state that to promote overall health and wellness, youth should participate in 60 minutes or more of physical activity every day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical therapists should apply research relevant to health-related fitness when treating youth. Promoting fitness, health, and wellness in our communities is a responsibility all therapists should assume.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. Kathleen.ganley@nau.edu
authors.forename: Kathleen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ganley
authors.forename: Mark V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Paterno
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stout
authors.forename: Lorrie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brawner
authors.forename: Gay
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Girolami
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Warren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000639:trends; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012885:Skinfold Thickness