Sure, most all of us know we should be exercising. But that doesn’t mean most of us are doing it.
Only 20 percent of U.S. adults are meeting both the aerobic and muscle strengthening components of the federal government’s physical activity recommendations, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But nationwide nearly 50 percent of adults are getting the recommended amounts of aerobic activity and about 30 percent are engaging in the recommended muscle-strengthening activity—numbers that researchers said is encouraging.
“This is a great foundation to build upon, but there is still much work to do,” said Carmen D. Harris, a CDC epidemiologist. “Improving access to safe and convenient places where people can be physically active can help make the active choice the easy choice.”
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as walking, or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging, or a combination of both.
The guidelines also recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups, sit-ups, or activities using resistance bands or weights. These activities should involve all major muscle groups and be done on two or more days per week.
Exercise rates varied by state. The rates of adults meeting the overall guidelines ranged from 27 percent in Colorado to 13 percent in Tennessee and West Virginia.
The West (24 percent) and the Northeast (21 percent) had the highest proportion of adults who met the guidelines. Women, Hispanics, older adults and obese adults were all less likely to meet the guidelines.
The report was published in the May 3 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a CDC publication.