Study Finds Only 25% of U.S. Walkers Meet Both Federal Exercise Guidelines
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Aug 24
Study Finds Only 25% of U.S. Walkers Meet Both Federal Exercise Guidelines
1 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Aug 24
Summary
About 25% of U.S. adults who listed walking among their top two leisure activities met both federal aerobic and muscle-strengthening targets in a 2019 analysis of 396,261 BRFSS respondents.
Walking was the most common activity at 44.1%, but popularity did not translate into guideline attainment because many respondents still fell short on total aerobic minutes, strength training, or both.
Non-metropolitan residents were less likely to meet the benchmarks: inactivity ran 29.9% versus 26.9% in metropolitan areas, and meeting both guidelines was 22.6% versus 23.9%.
Adjusted models showed non-metropolitan adults were 6% less likely to meet the aerobic minimum and 8% less likely to meet the muscle-strengthening target, even as gardening and other utilitarian activities were more common there.
The authors say local programs should build on familiar activities such as walking while adding strength work or other exercise options, though the pre-pandemic, self-reported 2019 data leave room for reassessment.