This narrative review describes the available scientific evidence regarding promising school-based strategies to increase physical activity of adolescents. We conducted a literature search for studies published up to 2011, regarding adolescent physical activity intervention studies that resulted in increased physical activity (regardless of measurement) and reviewed 52 intervention articles and 21 review articles. We identified several promising strategies and grouped into five broad intervention guidelines. These guidelines are as follows: (i) design multi-component interventions that foster the empowerment of members of the school community; (ii) develop improvements to Physical Education curricula as a strategy to promote physical activity to adolescents; (iii) design and implement non-curricular programmes and activities to promote physical activity; (iv) include computer-tailored interventions during the implementation and monitoring of physical activity promotion programmes and (v) design and implement specific strategies that respond to the interests and needs of girls. On the basis of our review of the adolescent physical activity promotion literature, we suggest that these five guidelines should be taken into account in school-based interventions geared towards achieving an increase in adolescent physical activity.

Sigue la Huella had a positive effect on motivational outcomes relevant to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sedentary time, and, particularly, student engagement in physical education. The analyses identified shared and unique determinants of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary time, suggesting that specific intervention strategies may be required to address each outcome.

The first aim of this work was to examine the independent influence of students’ perceived autonomy support for leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), from different school community agents, on motivational outcomes in a LTPA context and objective PA levels. Using both a variable- and person-centered approach, the second aim was to examine how different combinations of autonomy-support were associated with students’ motivational outcomes in a LTPA context and PA levels. A sample of 178 secondary students (M = 13.26 ± 0.64) participated in the study. Autonomy support for LTPA from the PE teacher, mother, father, and peers were the only agents that significantly and positively predicted motivational outcomes in a LTPA context and PA levels. While the two- and three-way interactions of some of these four significant sources significantly increased the explained variance of some motivational outcomes, the plots revealed that the lowest values of motivational outcomes were associated with low values of perceived autonomy support. A cluster analysis revealed five profiles. The “high autonomy support” group reported the most optimal outcomes, whereas the “low autonomy support” group showed the opposite pattern. However, mixed autonomy support profiles did not differ in any of the outcomes. The adoption of a whole-of-school approach seems decisive to empower adolescents to be active in and out of school.

A pesar de que la inactividad física está reconocida como un importante factor que contribuye al incremento de los niveles de obesidad y de otros problemas de salud, la mayoría de niños y adolescentes de las sociedades occidentales no realizan suficiente actividad física, para llegar a generar beneficios para su salud. El centro escolar representa una oportunidad para promocionar la actividad física, porque los niños permanecen gran parte de su tiempo en él. Para muchos escolares, las clases de Educación Física suponen el único momento a lo largo de la semana, en el que realizan práctica de actividad física. Tradicionalmente se ha considerado a la Educación Física como un área privilegiada en la promoción de la actividad física, bien de una manera directa, contribuyendo a la acumulación diaria de actividad física recomendada, bien de forma indirecta, promoviendo la actividad física fuera del centro escolar, a través del desarrollo de actitudes y competencias que permitan incorporar la conducta hacer práctica de actividad física, en el estilo de vida del individuo. Este artículo supone una reflexión sobre las relaciones entre la Educación Física y la promoción de la actividad física, analizando por un lado, el papel que debe jugar nuestra área que quizá deba estar más preocupada por atender aquellos aspectos motivacionales que favorezcan la adherencia a la práctica de actividad física presente y futura, y por otro, el rol del profesor de Educación Física, como facilitador y promotor de un estilo de vida activo y saludable, en coherencia con el modelo pedagógico de Educación Física y Salud.Abstract. Although physical inactivity is recognized as an important factor contributing to rising levels of obesity and other health problems, the majority of children and adolescents in Western societies do not get enough physical activity to generate health benefits. The school setting represents an opportunity to promote physical activity, because children spend much of their time in it. For many students, the Physical Education lessons represent the only time during the week in which they perform physical activity. It has traditionally been considered that physical education as a privileged area for the promotion of physical activity, in a direct way, contributing to the daily accumulation of physical activity recommended, and indirectly, promoting physical activity outside school, through the development of attitudes and skills which can help incorporate physical activity behavior in the lifestyle of the individual. This article is a reflection on the relationship between physical education and the promotion of physical activity, analyzing, first, the role to be played by our field that may need to be more concerned with addressing those motivational aspects that promote adherence to physical activity in the present and the future, and secondly, the role of the physical education teacher, as facilitator and promoter of an active, healthy lifestyle, consistent with the pedagogical model of Physical Education and health.