Contact

Reaching the right resource with a clear, specific question gets a faster and more useful response than a broad inquiry. This page explains what to include in a message, what kind of turnaround is realistic, and how to direct fitness-related questions to the most appropriate channel.

What to include in your message

A well-formed message does most of the work before anyone reads it. The difference between a question that gets a thorough response and one that sits in a queue is usually a matter of a few sentences of context.

When writing in, include:

1. The specific topic or page. If the question relates to a particular subject — say, VO2 max, body composition, or fitness standards by age group — name it. Editorial staff can pull up the relevant content immediately rather than working backward from a vague description.

2. The nature of the inquiry. There is a meaningful difference between a factual correction (a cited figure appears wrong), a content gap (a topic is missing entirely), a source request (looking for the underlying study or guideline behind a claim), and a general fitness question. Identifying which category the message falls into helps route it correctly.

3. Any supporting detail. If the message concerns a factual dispute, include the specific sentence or paragraph in question and, if possible, a link to the source that conflicts with what is published here. "I think this is wrong" is a starting point; "The CDC's Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition states X, but the page says Y" is actionable.

4. A contact address. Responses cannot be sent if there is nowhere to send them.

Messages that skip steps 1 through 3 typically generate a clarifying reply before any substantive answer is possible — which doubles the response time for everyone involved.

Response expectations

Editorial inquiries — corrections, sourcing requests, content gaps — receive priority handling. The general target window is 3 to 5 business days for an initial response, though complex factual investigations may require additional time if primary sources need to be located or verified.

General fitness questions are fielded as a secondary queue. The physical fitness FAQ and the how to get help page resolve the majority of common questions without requiring a direct message — worth checking before writing in, simply because the answer is often already there.

A few things this channel is not suited for:

• Personalized fitness programming. Questions like "what should my training week look like" or "is my resting heart rate normal" require individualized assessment that a reference resource cannot and should not provide. A certified fitness professional with direct access to someone's health history is the appropriate resource for that work. Fitness professionals and credentials covers what to look for when selecting one.
• Medical or clinical advice. Questions involving injury, diagnosis, or treatment fall outside the scope of a fitness reference authority. A licensed clinician is the right contact for those.
• Urgent matters. There is no real-time response capability here. Anything time-sensitive should go directly to a qualified professional or, in an emergency, emergency services.

Additional contact options

The fastest path to accurate information is often already published. Before sending a message, the following sections of the site address a wide range of common questions directly:

• US Physical Activity Guidelines — federal recommendations structured by age group and activity type
• Fitness testing methods — how fitness is measured formally, including field and lab protocols
• Overcoming barriers to fitness — practical obstacles and how exercise science addresses them
• National fitness statistics — population-level data drawn from named public sources

If the question concerns a specific population — children, older adults, pregnant individuals, or people with disabilities — dedicated sections cover each at physical fitness for children and youth, physical fitness for seniors, physical fitness during pregnancy, and fitness for people with disabilities.

How to reach this office

Editorial and content inquiries:
[email protected]

This address handles factual corrections, citation requests, source disputes, and suggestions for topics not yet covered on the site.

General inquiries:
[email protected]

This address handles everything that does not fit the editorial category — partnership inquiries, accessibility feedback, and general correspondence.

Response is by email only. There is no phone line, no live chat, and no social media channel monitored for direct messages. This is a deliberate choice: written correspondence creates a clear record and allows editorial staff to give considered responses rather than off-the-cuff ones. It is, in its way, the same logic that applies to getting a second opinion in writing rather than over the phone — slower, more reliable, and easier to refer back to.