A new exercise survey from the Centers for Disease Control shows the power of a headline.
First, the findings: 47.2% of U.S. adults get the recommended amount of aerobic exercise.
Ask Good Morning America and that means “less than half of adults in the U.S. are getting enough exercise.”
Ask the American Hospital Association and that means “nearly half of U.S. adults get recommended amount of physical activity.”
Whether your glass is half full or half empty, the survey suggests we could all get our blood pumping more often. The CDC recommends “at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (e.g., brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity (e.g., jogging) per week.”
Those guidelines are for exercise in your free time and do not include physical activity you might get on the job.
Here are more insights you won’t see in the headlines:
- Men (52.3%) get more aerobic exercise than women (42.4%)
- Adults in the West (51.9%) get more exercise than any other region
- City dwellers (51.5%) exercise more than rural residents (40.2%)
- The wealthiest adults (56.5%) exercise more often than the poorest (35.4%)
Not one population in the U.S. earns a passing grade for exercise. The most active group are people in excellent or very good health, and even then, just 58% meet the CDC standards.