Most adults aren’t active
- A CDC-backed report found most U.S. adults still aren’t meeting basic exercise targets today. (abc30.com) - Dr. Cindy Yu highlighted simple practical steps: hydrate, stretch before activity, and rest when ramping up training. (abc30.com) - The finding frames fitness as a consistency problem more than optimization, with public-health implications for prevention programs. (abc30.com)
Fewer than half of U.S. adults met the federal target for aerobic exercise in 2024, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. (cdc.gov) The report, published in April 2026 and based on the 2024 National Health Interview Survey, found that 47.2% of adults age 18 and older got the recommended amount of aerobic activity during leisure time. Men were more likely to meet the guideline than women, 52.3% to 42.4%. (cdc.gov) Activity fell with age in the survey. The share meeting the guideline was 54.0% among adults ages 18 to 34 and 38.4% among adults 65 and older. (cdc.gov) Federal guidance says adults should get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also points to muscle-strengthening activity as part of the full standard. Only 1 in 4 adults meet both the aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines. (cdc.gov 1) (cdc.gov 2) The numbers have stayed nearly flat in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Active People, Healthy Nation program lists 47.1% of adults meeting the aerobic guideline in 2020, 47.3% in 2022, and 47.2% in 2024. (cdc.gov) The agency ties those low activity levels to a broader health burden. It says inadequate physical activity is associated with 1 in 10 premature deaths and $192 billion in annual health care costs. (cdc.gov) The gaps are not evenly spread. The 2024 data brief found higher activity rates among adults with more education, adults living in the West, adults without disabilities, and adults reporting excellent or very good health. (cdc.gov) In interviews with ABC30, orthopedic sports medicine specialist Dr. Anthony Yu said exercise can lower blood pressure and help prevent or manage chronic conditions such as diabetes. He said people increasing training should use “common sense things” such as hydrating, stretching before activity, and taking adequate rest between sessions. (abc30.com) ABC30 also quoted trainer Julia Guimaraes urging beginners to start slowly and pick activities they can repeat, including classes, walks, or workouts with a partner. The federal data shows that consistency, not a short burst of effort, is where most adults are still falling short. (abc30.com) (cdc.gov)
