More Are Exercising, But Only Half of U.S. Exercise Regularly

More Americans are exercising regularly, but still fewer than half of us are exercising enough to meet the exercise guidelines for healthy adults, according to a CDC survey from 2005, published in November 2007. Regular exercise was defined as those reporting at least 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity activity on 5 or more days a week, or at least 20 minutes a day of vigorous-intensity activity on 3 or more days a week, or both.

More People Are Exercising Since 2001

Since the last Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey in 2001, the number of women reporting regular exercise increased by 8.6% to a total of 46.7% Men still outpaced women in reporting regular exercise, but made less of an improvement, up 3.5% to 49.7%.

African-Americans Exercising More

The good news is that larger increases were seen in exercise reported by non-Hispanic black men and women, who are at greater risk of health conditions that can be reduced by regular exercise. But, they still lag behind white men and women. Among women, 36.1% reported regular exercise, and among men, 45.3% did.

Hispanic Men Lag in Exercise

While Hispanic women achieving regular exercise rose to 40.5%, Hispanic men held steady from 2001 to 2005 at 41.9%.

Exercise Lags with Age, But Increasing

Young adults still exercise more than older adults, but bigger improvements were seen in the upper age categories. As baby boomers age, they are remaining more active or adding exercise to their routines.

More Education, More Exercise

More than half of college graduates reported regular exercise, while only 37% of high school dropouts did. College graduates are probably more likely to have sedentary jobs and need dedicated exercise time vs. doing physical labor, so there may be a trade-off in those statistics.

Are We Getting Healthier?

Americans are inching closer to the Healthy People 2010 goal of at least 50% getting regular exercise. But obesity rates continue to climb in the U.S., along with fears of future epidemics of type II diabetes and heart disease related to obesity and sedentary lifestyles.

_{Source: J Kruger, PhD, HW Kohl III, PhD. "Prevalence of Regular Physical Activity Among Adults --- United States, 2001 and 2005." MMWR Weekly. November 23, 2007 / 56(46);1209-1212}