Fat America: Just A Small Number Of Us Get Enough Exercise

Only 22.9 percent of American adults are getting enough exercise and Americans in some states are getting more exercise than others, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the adults that met these federal guidelines did so through physical activity performed during leisure time as opposed to physical activity performed at work.

The report looked at what percentage of American adults met the 2008 federal guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity between 2010 and 2015. The report noted that leisure time physical activity and occupational physical activity may not have comparable health benefits with previous research showing that occupational physical activity can have less-than-positive effects.

In general, states in the west and the Rocky Mountain regions were more likely to be above the national average while states in the southeast were consistently overrepresented in the below average category. The percentages varied, with just 13.5 percent of adults exercising enough in Mississippi to close to 33 percent of adults meeting the federal guidelines in Colorado.

Men exercised more than women, the report found. Overall, 27.2 percent of adult men got enough exercise and that figure was 18.7 percent for adult women. Among working adults, 28.8 percent of men and 20.9 percent of women met the exercise guidelines. The percentages were lower among non-working adults. Just 21.3 percent of men and 14.6 percent of women in that category met the guidelines.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults perform at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate physical activity every week or 75 minutes (1.5 hours) of vigorous physical activity in addition to muscle strengthening activities two or more days per week.

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