Only One in Five Adults Meet CDC Physical Activity Guidelines - Time to Fix That!
/One in five adults meet overall physical activity guidelines
About 20% 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 recently published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (catchy name, eh?), a journal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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.
The report also found that the West (24%) and the Northeast (21%) had the highest proportion of adults who met the guidelines. Women, Hispanics, older adults and obese adults were all less likely to meet the guidelines.
For more information about the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, including ways to get and stay active, visit www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity. Learn more about CDC's efforts to promote walking by visiting www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/walking.
Here in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County with such great weather year-round, it should be easy to meet CDC's Physical Activity Guidelines. Here are some local options:
Running and cycling groups and activities
