Only a quarter of Americans get minimal exercise each week
Only a Quarter of Americans Get the Minimum Recommended Exercise Each Week, According to a New CDC Report…Are You One of Them?
- Less Than 28 Percent Of Americans Achieve HHS Weekly Fitness Goals, CDC Reports
- Even half of the population does not meet even one of the two targets set by officials
- The sedentary lifestyles that many Americans lead play a role in the obesity crisis
Nearly three-quarters of Americans fail to get the government-recommended minimum amount of exercise each week, according to an official report.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says adults should do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week — such as brisk walking, cycling or gardening — and do muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week.
But up to 28 percent of people in the United States meet those thresholds, according to a nationwide survey of more than 30,000 people ages 18 and older across the country.
The study, published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows that only 47 percent of adults meet at least one exercise recommendation.
The study comes as a senior official has received widespread criticism for downplaying the impact of exercise in combating obesity.
The CDC found that only about a quarter of Americans meet the physical fitness guidelines set by the HHS — and less than half meet one of two standards set by the nation’s leading health agencies.
The 2020 National Health Interview Survey of 30,407 people from across the United States was used for the CDC study.
The researchers note that the Covid pandemic may have affected the results, as lockdowns kept many gyms and activities from keeping them in good shape.
For the survey, participants self-reported their weekly activity levels. Strength training includes activities such as weight and resistance exercises.
Any exercise that causes the heart rate to increase in the body can be considered moderate physical activity.
The researchers found that less than half of Americans adhere to either of these guidelines.
Only about a quarter of Americans meet both guidelines, with CDC researchers noting that in no area of the country do more than 28 percent of people follow them.
The researchers found that urban residents were more likely to meet the criteria, with 28 percent reporting this. This compares to just 16% of the rural American population.
However, both of those numbers are very low, the CDC warns.
About 27 percent of Americans who live in large metro areas meet both guidelines, and 22 percent of those in medium and small metro areas.
This can be attributed to the compact nature of many metro areas, where gyms and other recreational activities are easy to access.
Urban Americans are also wealthier than their rural counterparts, which is another factor associated with more exercise.
People who live in the West are also more likely to exercise than their peers, with 28.5 percent meeting both thresholds.
For comparison, only 24.4 percent of those who live in the Northeast, 23.4 percent of those in the Midwest and 22 percent of Americans in the South meet both guidelines.
The sedentary lifestyle of many Americans, along with poor eating habits, was primarily responsible for the weight crisis in the country.
The CDC warns that more than 70 percent of the population is overweight, including 40 percent of Americans who are obese.
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