On Sept. 19, we were honored to represent ACSM at the Second Annual Physical Activity Alliance Symposium. We were among more than 100 representatives from 75+ organizations in attendance. The symposium was inspiring for many reasons, and we wanted to share some of that inspiration with the wider ACSM community. 

The Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) is a collection of the leading health nonprofits in the United States. Formed in 2020, it is the nation’s largest coalition dedicated to advancing regular participation in physical activity and does so by using its collective voice to lead efforts that create, support and advocate for necessary policy and systems change. ACSM, a PAA member since the alliance’s inception, is one of 18 organizations on its board of trustees; ACSM’s collaborative contributions to the PAA are both directly related to ACSM’s mission and vision as well as a key part of our advocacy and outreach efforts. 

At its core, the symposium was a gathering of people doing the hard work of making physical activity more accessible to and part of the day-to-day lives of all Americans. Aside from representatives of the various member orgs, officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who oversee national efforts to increase physical activity were also present to help connect the dots. 

Like you, those in attendance recognize the many contemporary challenges we face, and some of the day’s themes included: 

• Higher than ever levels of inactivity in children, confirmed by the most recent U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity for Children
• That the exercise profession is good at “getting the fit fitter/healthy healthier” but still are only at 15-20% of market penetration — recognizing exercise professionals as an integral part of the QHP team is critical
• Funding barriers
• Getting physical activity prescriptions and references to qualified exercise professionals (QEPs) as part of a standard of care
• Military readiness of both current and future enlisted US armed services members
• The role of technology and digital health and how this both closes and widens the gap
• Inclusion and the disability community — “Nothing about us without us” 

Meanwhile, the symposium’s several panels and sessions covered: 

• “Changing the systems,” with a focus on education, health care, public health and the exercise professional
• Pressing issues (e.g., anti-obesity medications, mental health, military readiness, physical activity disparities)
• Leveraging trends toward 2028 (when the updated Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans will be released) — Active People, Healthy Nation; the PAA’s National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP), the Physical Activity Guidelines themselves; and Move Your Way^®
• Transforming culture — accessibility, rural areas, transportation & community design, and youth
• Finding policy opportunities 

Though we were ACSM’s official representatives, other members of the ACSM family were in attendance in other capacities. ACSM members onsite included Rafael Alamilla, MS; Amy Bantham, DrPH; Cedric Bryant, PhD, FACSM; Madison Crisler, MS, ACSM-CPT; David Flench, MBA, ACSM-EP, EIM; David Geslak, ACSM-EP; NiCole Keith, PhD, FACSM; Russ Pate, PhD, FACSM; Karin Pfeiffer, PhD, FACSM; Katrina Piercy, PhD, FACSM, ACSM-CPT, ACSM-CEP; Michael Stack, ACSM-EP, PAPHS, EIM. And ACSM VP of Governmental Affairs Monte Ward was also present. 

The adage “Many hands make light work” was the rule of the day; members of the board and the more than 100 individuals representing 75 organizations present, all play an integral role in the PAA’s important efforts. But the ACSM community in particular ought to be proud not just of the number of its members in attendance at this important summit but the foundational work we are all doing in the areas of research, education, advocacy, Exercise is Medicine^® and scientific publications. All of these topics came up repeatedly throughout the day, as did this special issue of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal^® about the professionalization of the exercise profession. 

The many roles that members of the ACSM community perform are crucial pieces of the larger puzzle we are striving to assemble — movement for all. Thank you all for enabling ACSM to participate in such important advocacy and outreach effort. It was an honor to represent you at the PAA symposium. 

Sincerely, 

Carrie Jaworski, MD, FACSM 

ACSM President-elect 

Katie Feltman, CAE 

ACSM Interim CEO/COO