America faces a profound physical activity crisis that threatens our collective health, economy, and national security. The numbers are alarming: less than one in four adults and only one in six youth meet federal physical activity guidelines. One in three young people may be pre-diabetic. Only two in five young adults are fit enough to serve in our military. And the financial toll? A staggering $192 billion in annual healthcare costs directly linked to physical inactivity.
In this urgent conversation, Michael Stack, President of the Physical Activity Alliance (PAA), introduces the groundbreaking "Move With Us" campaign—the organization's first major fundraising initiative designed to transform America from a culture of inactivity to a culture of movement. Stack articulates the crucial distinction between grassroots community programs and macro-level policy change, emphasizing that both approaches are essential but complementary sides of the same coin.
The PAA has already made remarkable progress through standardizing physical activity measures in electronic health records, engaging CEOs to create activity-friendly workplaces, educating the public health workforce, hosting congressional briefings, and developing innovative exercise therapy programs. But to reach their bold goal—more than 50% of Americans meeting physical activity guidelines by 2050—they need partners from healthcare, business, education, and government sectors.
Ready to be part of the solution? Whether you're passionate about youth health, workplace wellness, healthcare integration, or public policy, the Physical Activity Alliance invites you to collaborate in this vital mission. Together, we can create environments where movement becomes the default, not the exception. Share this episode with colleagues and decision-makers who understand that minute-for-minute, nothing impacts health more profoundly than physical activity.
Our Host: Michael Stack
Michael Stack is the founder & CEO of Applied Fitness Solutions, the Michigan Moves Coalition and the More than Movement Foundation. He is a faculty lecturer for the University of Michigan’s School of Kinesiology and the President of the Physical Activity Alliance. He is also the creator and the host of the Wellness Paradox Podcast, produced in conjunction with University of Michigan.
Michael is an exercise physiologist by training and a health entrepreneur, health educator, and advocate by trade. He is dedicated to the policy and system changes to ensure exercise professionals become an essential part of healthcare delivery.