Topline
Only 28% of Americans are meeting physical activity guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a study from the agency released Thursday that also found Americans’ amount of exercise varied widely based on their geographic location and whether they lived in a rural or urban area.
Runners stream over the Verrazanno Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon on … [+]
Key Facts
Adults should spend at least 150 minutes per week doing aerobic exercises at a moderate intensity, and spend at least two days a week doing a muscle-strengthening activity like lifting weights, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
But more than two-thirds of Americans aren’t meeting those benchmarks, the CDC said Thursday, citing an analysis of data from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey.
Results were even more dire based on geographic location, with only 16% of people outside of cities meeting exercise guidelines, compared to 28% of residents in major metropolitan areas.
The lowest prevalence of meeting the exercise benchmarks was found in the South (22% of adults), according to the CDC, while the West was the most active region of the country in terms of meeting HHS guidelines with 28.5% meeting both benchmarks.
Some 46.9% of respondents across the U.S. reported meeting at least one of the aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening guidelines, but not both, according to the CDC.
The agency noted the data was collected in 2020, amid the onset of the Covid-19 lockdowns, which may have contributed to even larger decreases in physical activity.
Key Background
The results of the study are important for understanding the disparities in exercise among different groups of people in the U.S., the study’s authors wrote, but added that “a national paradigm shift is needed” to properly address the country’s lack of exercise and the effect it has on health. Roughly half of American adults, or 117 million people, have at least one preventable chronic disease, according to the HHS. Regular physical activity can favorably influence seven of the ten most common chronic diseases in the U.S., including heart disease and diabetes, the agency said. Recent studies have also found regular exercise helps make children less susceptible to catching respiratory tract infections like the common cold and improve cognitive function among middle-aged people.
Further Reading
Not Just The Elderly: Intense Physical Activity In Middle Age Improves Cognitive Skills, Study Finds (Forbes)
Kids Who Exercise More Are Less Likely To Get Respiratory Infections, Study Suggests (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2023/01/26/just-28-of-americans-are-exercising-enough-cdc-says-and-its-even-lower-in-some-regions/