Only a quarter of Americans get the minimum recommended amount of exercise each week, a new CDC report found… are you one of them?
- Less than 28 percent of Americans meet weekly HHS fitness goals, the CDC reports
- Not even half of the population met even one of the two goals set by officials
- The sedentary lifestyle that many Americans lead plays a role in the obesity crisis
Nearly three-quarters of Americans fail to get the minimum amount of exercise recommended by the government each week, according to an official report.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says adults should get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week — such as walking, cycling or gardening — and do muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week.
But up to 28 percent of people in the US meet that threshold, according to a national survey of more than 30,000 people aged 18 and above across the country.
A 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 leading officials have received widespread criticism for downplaying the effects of exercise in fighting obesity.
The CDC found that only about a quarter of Americans meet the fitness guidelines set by HHS — and less than half even meet either of the two standards set by the nation’s leading health agencies.
The 2020 National Health Interview Survey of 30,407 people from across the US was used for the CDC study.
The researchers noted that the Covid pandemic may have had an impact on the findings, as the lockdown prevented many people from the gym and regular activities.
For the survey, participants reported their weekly activity level. Strength training includes activities such as weight and resistance training.
Moderate physical activity can be considered as exercise that causes the heart rate of the body to increase.
Researchers found that less than half of Americans met either of the two guidelines.
Only about a quarter of Americans meet these guidelines, with CDC researchers noting that in no region of the country do more than 28 percent of people follow them.
The researchers found that urban residents were more likely to meet the standard, with 28 percent reporting it. This compares to only 16 percent of rural Americans.
Still, both numbers are too low, the CDC warns.
About 27 percent of Americans living in large metro areas meet both guidelines, and 22 percent from medium and small metro areas.
This may be due to the compressed nature of many metro areas, with gyms and other recreational activities more accessible.
Urban Americans are also typically wealthier than their rural counterparts, another factor linked to other sports.
People living in the American west are also more likely to exercise than their peers, with 28.5 percent meeting both thresholds.
For comparison, only 24.4 percent of people living in the Northeast, 23.4 percent of Midwesterners and 22 percent of Americans in the South meet both guidelines.
The sedentary lifestyle of many Americans, combined with poor dietary habits, is largely responsible for the nation’s weight crisis.
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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