Aim of new U.S. program: Get kids moving, off the couch

The Daily Mile Foundation and The Sports Institute at UW Medicine announce the launch of The Daily Mile in the United States. The Daily Mile is a school program, developed in the United Kingdom, that encourages children to run or jog at their own pace for 15 minutes a day to improve their health, concentration and learning. Nearly 10,000 schools and more than 1.9 million students around the world participate in The Daily Mile, now including schools and students across the United States.

The Daily Mile USA has partnered with The Sports Institute to offer schools a program that’s free, fun and easy to implement and execute. As part of this effort, The Sports Institute is spearheading a comprehensive study of the impact of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on students in Washington.

Ultimately, implementation of The Daily Mile in the United States seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of all children and promote understanding of the connections between physical activity and students’ academic, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes.

“We are delighted to launch The Daily Mile in the U.S. and to make our simple, straightforward approach available to even more students around the world,” said Elaine Wyllie, founder of The Daily Mile. “We have already seen the positive impact of The Daily Mile in nearly 10,000 schools around the world. Through this collaboration with The Sports Institute, we’re eager to further grow The Daily Mile in the U.S. and better understand how physical activity benefits our children.”

“Children in the United States are less active than ever before,” said Dr. Samuel Browd, director of The Sports Institute at UW Medicine and a professor of neurological surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

“Our communities need inclusive, low-cost and fun initiatives like The Daily Mile to combat this epidemic. By working to understand how movement supports the social-emotional health of our youngest learners, The Sports Institute is proving the value of physical activity in as many communities as possible.”

Downloadable Media Assets:

• Broadcast package with voiceover (1:40)
• Broadcast package without voiceover (1:40)
• Script

On average, kids spend more than seven hours each day engaged in sedentary activities, depriving them of the health benefits of physical activity that contribute to normal development and peak health. In the United States, only one-fourth of young children meet the government daily recommendation of one hour of moderate-to-vigorous activity. 

The U.S. rollout of The Daily Mile is part of a collaborative effort to build a community of educators, parents and students who prioritize the health and wellness of the whole child in educational environments across America. Schools representing greater Seattle-area school districts, including Highline School District and Edmonds School District, are participating in The Sports Institute’s initial research cohort throughout the 2019-2020 school year.

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