This back-to-school season marks a pivotal expansion in the partnership between the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Football League (NFL), as they bring together their long-standing programs—NFL PLAY 60 and the Kids Heart Challenge™/American Heart Challenge™—to foster physical activity and mental wellness in school environments nationwide. This collaborative effort is grounded firmly in scientific evidence that demonstrates how consistent physical activity enhances cognitive function, emotional regulation, and overall classroom behavior, creating optimal conditions for learning and developmental growth.
For nearly two decades, NFL PLAY 60 has been a nationwide movement encouraging children to achieve at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. This initiative aligns with the American Heart Association’s physical activity guidelines, which recommend a minimum of 60 minutes of such activity for children and adolescents to support cardiovascular health and metabolic function. The program uses the popular platform of football and its influential NFL teams to motivate young people to embrace healthy habits early in life, thereby reducing sedentary behavior and promoting lifelong well-being.
The integration of NFL PLAY 60 with the Kids Heart Challenge expands the reach and impact of both programs by incorporating comprehensive mental health and cardiovascular education into an engaging school-based curriculum. This expanded program emphasizes the neurobiological benefits of exercise, noting how sustained physical activity enhances synaptic plasticity, supports the release of neurotrophic factors like BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), and modulates stress responses, contributing to improved focus, emotional resilience, and behavioral outcomes in students.
Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association, articulated the critical nature of this evolution, highlighting the fusion of two powerful legacies to meet young people where they are in their educational journeys. She stressed that this initiative not only promotes physical health but also underscores heart safety and mental wellness, ultimately striving for a future marked by longer, healthier lives, driven by scientific advancements in understanding how lifestyle factors affect human physiology and psychology.
In informational alignment with these objectives, the NFL has introduced the NFL PLAY 60 Family Challenge. This new component encourages families to engage in physical activity together, recognizing the role of social and environmental dynamics in shaping children’s health behaviors. By encouraging joint movement and reduced sedentary time at home, the program leverages familial support systems to augment school-based efforts, creating a comprehensive ecosystem of wellness promotion grounded in behavioral science theories on social modeling and reinforcement.
A significant and innovative component of the Kids Heart Challenge this year includes hands-on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) education. Students and families are now equipped with the skills to perform Hands-Only CPR, a simplified emergency response measure designed to increase bystander intervention during cardiac events. This element not only empowers youth with lifesaving skills but also scientifically reinforces the “chain of survival” concept, which has been demonstrated to significantly improve outcomes in cardiac arrest incidents through early recognition and immediate action.
In collaboration with NFL athlete and cardiac arrest survivor Damar Hamlin, the program introduces the “Finn’s Mission” learning module. This feature utilizes cutting-edge educational strategies that combine narrative engagement with practical training, leveraging the influence of a relatable figure to improve retention of vital health information. The motivator of earning entries into a Super Bowl ticket raffle provides an incentive structure rooted in motivational psychology, increasing participation rates and embedding critical health knowledge within student populations.
Beyond educational initiatives, the partnership has expanded to include a $350,000 year-round grant program supporting schools in key areas such as physical activity infrastructure, FLAG football development, recess enhancement, and inclusive physical education practices. These grants are designed to facilitate evidence-based interventions in diverse school settings, addressing disparities in access to quality physical education and promoting equitable opportunities for physical engagement among children with varying abilities and resources.
As a response to increased indoor habitation during adverse weather or other constraints, the NFL PLAY 60 Exercise Library returns by popular demand. This digital repository offers brief, high-quality exercise videos featuring NFL players, legends, cheerleaders, and mascots from all 32 NFL clubs. Such on-demand content supports classroom movement breaks, refocusing techniques, and supplemental activity opportunities aligned with cognitive neuroscience findings emphasizing the benefits of intermittent physical activity on attention and executive function.
Collectively, the integration of these initiatives is not only a strategic public health endeavor but also a demonstration of how interdisciplinary collaboration between sports organizations and health institutions can lead to scalable, impactful programs. By embedding scientifically validated physical and mental wellness practices within cultural and educational frameworks, this partnership advances a holistic vision of pediatric health, capitalizing on neuropsychological, cardiovascular, and behavioral science insights to create healthier, more resilient youth populations.
This latest development in the AHA and NFL’s collaboration underscores a broader societal movement toward embedding preventative health strategies in everyday environments, particularly schools, which serve as essential platforms for shaping lifelong habits. The innovative fusion of physical activity promotion, mental wellness education, emergency preparedness, family involvement, and resource allocation illustrates a comprehensive approach to childhood health that anticipates advances in health technology and behavioral health research.
As educators, parents, and caregivers engage with these resources, the opportunity arises to foster a generation that not only understands the importance of physical fitness for cardiovascular health but also appreciates its integral role in mental health optimization and academic success. The AHA and NFL’s commitment to extending these programs reflects an understanding that transformative change emerges from consistent, community-based efforts supported by robust scientific data and culturally relevant motivation.
For more detailed program information and to access resources, stakeholders can visit the American Heart Association’s dedicated NFL PLAY 60 website. Here, educators and families can find tools, grant application details, and participation guidelines designed to maximize the benefits of this comprehensive youth wellness initiative. This platform serves as a nexus for the dissemination of the latest research-supported practices and interactive opportunities aimed at fostering healthier, more active communities for today’s children and the generations that follow.
Subject of Research: Physical activity and mental wellness programs designed to improve child health and cognitive function in school settings through collaborative public health and sports initiatives.
Article Title: NFL PLAY 60 and American Heart Association Expand Legacy Programs to Elevate Physical Activity and Mental Wellness in Schools
News Publication Date: September 2, 2025
Web References:
– https://newsroom.heart.org/news/nfl-play-60-and-kids-heart-challenge-join-forces-to-help-students-move-more-stress-less
– http://www.heart.org/nflplay60
– http://www.heart.org/en/professional/educator/school-programs/the-kids-heart-challenge-american-heart-challenge-experience
– https://www.nfl.com/causes/play60
Keywords: Health and medicine, Physical activity, Mental wellness, Pediatric cardiovascular health, Cognitive function, Emergency preparedness, Public health, Youth fitness programs, Behavior change, School health initiatives
