The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) is the largest organization of professionals supporting and assisting those involved in physical education, leisure, fitness, dance, health promotion, and education and all specialties related to achieving a healthy lifestyle.
AAHPERD is an alliance of five national associations and six district associations and is designed to provide members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support, and programs to help practitioners improve their skills and so further the health and well-being of the American public.
The organization dates to November 27, 1885, when William Gilbert Anderson, two years out of medical school and an instructor of physical training at Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn, invited a group of people who were working in the gymnastic field to come together to discuss their profession. Today AAHPERD serves 25,000 members and has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia, 25 miles west of Washington DC. Members who are visiting in the area are welcome to visit the headquarters.