The National Association for Health and Fitness (NAHF) was founded in 1979 by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and has as its vision that America shares in the social, economic, health and environmental benefits that come from living an active lifestyle. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for all individuals in the United States by promoting physical fitness, sports and healthy lifestyles. We also champion environmental and policy support for active living and encourage and share innovation in the United States. NAHF values active living (integrating physical activity into daily lives), community involvement and leadership development for all social sectors, promoting quality physical education in our schools, developing workforce health promotion programs and active-aging programs. With our focus on the states, NAHF “bridges the gap” between federal and local action and unites researcher and community practitioner.
America’s “challenge” of inspiring and empowering people to be physically active is vital to our nation’s human and economic health. At no other time in NAHF history has this Association’s mission and innovation in the United States been more relevant. NAHF members have been leaders in presenting capacity-building national meetings, development of user-friendly behavior change programs, and recognizing excellence and advocacy for policy and environmental support of active living through our annual Gold Star Awards and Glenn V. Swengros Award. Our award-winning worksite health promotion, Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, has resulted in thousands of employees leading healthier lives! USA school districts, universities, state and local governments, hospital systems, pharmacies, and public health departments have all been participants in the GEHFM initiatives.