Most adults not active
- A CDC-based report finds most American adults still don’t meet recommended exercise levels. - ABC30 summarized the CDC findings and stressed basics like hydration, pre-exercise stretching, and adequate rest. - Public-health experts say those fundamentals matter when people increase training load to avoid injury and burnout (abc30.com).
Fewer than half of U.S. adults got enough aerobic exercise in 2024 to meet federal guidelines, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. (cdc.gov) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 47.2% of adults age 18 and older met the aerobic guideline in 2024, unchanged from 47.3% in 2022 and 47.1% in 2020. Men were more likely to meet the standard than women, 52.3% to 42.4%. (cdc.gov) Federal guidelines define that target as 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, plus muscle-strengthening work on two days a week. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion says adults get the most health benefits when they do both. (odphp.health.gov) The broader gap is larger than the headline number suggests. The Department of Health and Human Services says nearly 80% of adults do not meet both the aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines. (health.gov) The 2024 survey also found clear divides by age, education and region. Adults ages 18 to 44 were more likely to hit the aerobic target than older adults, college graduates were more likely to meet it than adults without a high school diploma, and adults in the West led the country while those in the South trailed. (cdc.gov) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to move those numbers through its Active People, Healthy Nation initiative, which aims to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. The agency says higher activity levels improve health and quality of life and reduce healthcare costs. (cdc.gov) ABC30’s April 21 report on the new data paired the survey results with practical advice from trainers and health professionals: drink water, stretch before exercise and leave time for recovery. The station reported that those basics can help people who are starting or increasing workouts avoid overuse injuries and burnout. (abc30.com) Federal guidance also stresses that some movement is better than none. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion says adults who do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous activity gain health benefits, even before they reach the full weekly target. (odphp.health.gov) The new federal snapshot leaves the same bottom line in place as the old one: most adults still are not moving enough, and the national trend has barely changed since 2020. (cdc.gov)
