ONLY 20% ADULTS IN U.S. MEET PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES

FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
One in five adults meet overall physical activity guidelines

About 20 percent of U.S. adults are meeting both the aerobic and muscle strengthening components of the federal government's physical activity recommendations, according to a report published in today's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a journal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data are based on self-reported information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; an annual phone survey of adults aged 18 and over conducted by state health departments.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as walking, or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging, or a combination of both. The guidelines also recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups, sit-ups, or activities using resistance bands or weights. These activities should involve all major muscle groups and be done on two or more days per week.

The report finds that nationwide nearly 50 percent of adults are getting the recommended amounts of aerobic activity and about 30 percent are engaging in the recommended muscle-strengthening activity.