Americans aren't active
- A CDC-backed report finds most American adults still aren't meeting basic physical activity targets. - The report emphasizes simple safety habits like hydrating, stretching before exercise, and resting between sessions. - ABC30 summarized the CDC findings and Dr. Yu's practical safety tips for people returning to activity (abc30.com).
Most U.S. adults still are not getting enough exercise: 47.2% met the federal aerobic activity target in 2024, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data brief. (cdc.gov) The federal benchmark is at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus muscle-strengthening work on 2 days a week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says adults can split that into smaller chunks across the week. (cdc.gov) The 2024 survey found men were more likely than women to meet the aerobic target, 52.3% to 42.4%. Adults in the West were more likely to hit the goal than adults in other regions, and rates also rose with education level. (cdc.gov) The numbers have barely moved in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Active People, Healthy Nation tracker shows 47.1% of adults met the aerobic guideline in 2020, 47.3% in 2022, and 47.2% in 2024. (cdc.gov) The federal government has been trying to change that trend through Active People, Healthy Nation, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention campaign that aims to help 27 million Americans become more active by 2027. The agency says higher activity levels can improve health, quality of life, and health care costs. (cdc.gov) The Fresno station ABC30, summarizing the new data on April 22, reported that Dr. Yu urged people returning to exercise to use basic injury-prevention habits, including hydrating, stretching before activity, and taking enough rest between sessions. (abc30.com) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also tells adults who are not yet meeting the target to “move more and sit less,” and says some activity is better than none. Its guidance says the weekly goal can start with short sessions and build over time. (cdc.gov) The new data brief also found higher aerobic activity among adults without disabilities, adults with healthy weight, and adults who rated their health as excellent or very good. That leaves the national picture largely unchanged: more than half of adults still fall short of the basic aerobic guideline. (cdc.gov)
