CDC Report: Only 1 in 5 US Adults Gets Enough Exercise

USA Today  (5/3, Hellmich) reports according to data published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a journal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most adults in the US don’t meet “the Federal physical activity recommendations for both aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening activity.” The research reveals approximately 79 percent of adults don’t get “at least 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as brisk walking, or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging.” The Federal guidelines also recommend adults “do muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups, sit-ups or exercise using resistance bands or weights” at least twice a week. Research has shown that regular physical activity can reduce weight, prevent heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and stave off depression and some forms of cancer.

HealthDay  (5/3, Reinberg) notes that the “overall exercise rates also varied widely by state, ranging from 13 percent in Tennessee and West Virginia to 27 percent in Colorado.” Report author Carmen Harris, a CDC epidemiologist, said, “While only about 30 percent of adults meet the muscle-strengthening guidelines, we find it very encouraging that half of U.S. adults are meeting the aerobic guidelines.” The report also indicated that women, Hispanics, the elderly and obese adults were less likely to meet the CDC’s guidelines. The data in the study is “based on information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which is a yearly phone survey of adults aged 18 and over.”

Medscape  (5/3, Barber) goes into further detail about the study. “The highest prevalence of aerobic activity (61.8%) was observed in Colorado, and the lowest prevalence was reported for Tennessee (39.0%). For muscle-strengthening activity, the District of Columbia had the highest prevalence of participation (36.1%), and West Virginians were least likely to participate (20.2%).” The study’s authors write, “Continued national, state, and local efforts to implement strategies can help improve the proportion of adults who meet physical activity guidelines.