It's time to level the playing field for girls and encourage more exercise

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I have the privilege on Wednesday of speaking at The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition & Health. hosted by the Biden-Harris administration, the conference is the first of its kind in a half-century.   

As CEO of GENYOUth, the national nonprofit dedicated to creating healthier school communities, it’s an honor to have a role in this historic convening as a member of a panel addressing "The Power of Play." 

A physically active lifestyle is linked with overall mental health during early adolescence. Despite the physical health, mental health, and learning benefits that it provides, fewer than 1 in 4 school-aged youth meet the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. This challenge is especially prominent among girls. Girls living in lower-income households and girls from communities of color are at even greater risk.  

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Between the ages of 5 and 10, girls and boys participate in physical activity at similarly high rates. However, by adolescence, the participation rate for girls is 20% lower. By high school, just 18% of girls participate in 60 minutes of physical activity each day, as compared with 36% of boys.  And when it comes specifically to sport, by age 14 girls drop out at twice the rate of boys. In fact, girls’ participation in sports begins to decline at age 9 and drops sharply in their teen years. 

By high school, just 18% of girls participate in 60 minutes of physical activity each day. For boys, the number is twice that. (iStock )

Recognizing the need to support more physical activity for all, and especially girls, GENYOUth conducted a series of