Health
Get moving, CDC tells U.S. adults
■ Moderate- or vigorous-intensity exercise a few times a week goes a long way.
By Stephanie Stapleton — Posted May 14, 2007
- WITH THIS STORY:
- » Who is active where
- » Action hot spots
- » Related content
Half of U.S. adults do not meet recommended levels of physical activity.
The 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System found that 38% of adults were insufficiently active and 14% were inactive, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Evidence is clear regarding the health benefits of exercise and the role inactivity plays in the nation's weight problem as well as its associated morbidity and mortality.
The CDC, the American College of Sports Medicine and Healthy People 2010 recommend that adults should strive to engage in moderate-intensity physical activities for at least 30 minutes on five or more days each week, or in vigorous-intensity physical activity three or more days per week for at least 20 minutes per occasion.
The CDC-ACSM guidelines categorize moderate activity as burning 3.5 kcal to 7 kcal per minute. Examples include walking or biking on even terrain at 3 mph to 4.5 mph or 5 mph to 9 mph, respectively. Vigorous activity is classified as burning more than 7 kcal/minute. Race walking at 5 mph or faster, or biking at a minimum of 10 mph or riding primarily uphill, meet this standard.
More CDC information and physical activity resources for health professionals are online (link).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Who is active where
![[download pdf]](/assets/images/ic_pdf.gif)
Most people in the U.S. do not engage in physical activities consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. But behaviors vary widely on a state-by-state basis, as seen from a 2005 survey.
| Population meeting recommendations |
|
|---|---|
| Alabama | 43.0% |
| Alaska | 58.6% |
| Arizona | 53.3% |
| Arkansas | 46.5% |
| California | 53.3% |
| Colorado | 53.9% |
| Connecticut | 51.6% |
| Delaware | 45.2% |
| District of Columbia | 52.3% |
| Florida | 45.7% |
| Georgia | 41.5% |
| Hawaii | 52.4% |
| Idaho | 53.8% |
| Illinois | 46.9% |
| Indiana | 47.7% |
| Iowa | 46.3% |
| Kansas | 48.6% |
| Kentucky | 34.6% |
| Louisiana | 38.1% |
| Maine | 54.5% |
| Maryland | 49.4% |
| Massachusetts | 52.6% |
| Michigan | 49.5% |
| Minnesota | 50.6% |
| Mississippi | 39.8% |
| Missouri | 46.7% |
| Montana | 56.6% |
| Nebraska | 47.4% |
| Nevada | 50.7% |
| New Hampshire | 56.2% |
| New Jersey | 46.1% |
| New Mexico | 50.9% |
| New York | 48.3% |
| North Carolina | 42.0% |
| North Dakota | 48.4% |
| Ohio | 49.4% |
| Oklahoma | 42.3% |
| Oregon | 56.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 49.2% |
| Puerto Rico | 32.3% |
| Rhode Island | 51.3% |
| South Carolina | 45.2% |
| South Dakota | 47.7% |
| Tennessee | 36.1% |
| Texas | 46.4% |
| Utah | 54.0% |
| Vermont | 57.7% |
| Virginia | 50.8% |
| Washington | 54.6% |
| West Virginia | 40.4% |
| Wisconsin | 56.7% |
| Wyoming | 56.2% |
| National average | 48.1% |
Source: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a national telephone survey conducted by the CDC and state health departments
