According to a new CDC report, only 22.9% of Americans aged 18 to 64 years have complied with the recommended physical activity recommendations by the government between 2010 and 2015. These guidelines require healthy adults do at least two and a half hours of moderate activity. – or 75 minutes of intense activity – plus at least two days of muscle building a week.
But depending on where people live, some are much more likely than others to spend enough time training.
In 14 states and Washington D.C., people were significantly more likely to reach the guidelines, according to the report. Residents of the West and New England states were the most likely to train enough, with Coloradans leading the rankings.
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Meanwhile, residents of the southern states were the least likely to be trained. Mississippi residents were the least likely to exercise enough.
CDC / NCHS
There were also significant differences between men and women, according to CDC data. Overall, just over 27% of men adhere to fitness guidelines. For women, 18.7% met the minimum guidelines. In general, men and women who work are more likely to exercise than men and women who do not work.
One of the wrinkles in CDC data is that they measure whether people get enough physical activity during hobbies. This does not count commuters who walk to work, although walking in general can be considered a moderate level of physical activity. In the report, the authors say it may be why New York ranks as low as that.
Many New Yorkers rely on walking to get to work for their physical activity. The only state with more commuters going to work is Alaska.
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Most research concludes that the most important health benefits come from physical activity during leisure – the workout sessions that you get through to. Physical activity does not seem to be associated. with the same health benefits as leisure activities. And that means that to get the benefits of exercise, it's worth trying to put some time during the free hours that you have.
Shutterstock / El Nariz
What you should do to comply with the guidelines
To meet the strict minimum of the CDC, you can spend about 30 minutes a day. Five days of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise – a 30-minute brisk walk or an occasional bike ride – are enough to meet aerobic guidelines. Then, two days of resistance training, using weights or bodyweight exercises, are also important because these activities are the most important for strengthening bones and muscles.
If you think it's huge, you can always get things done faster. Just 75 minutes of vigorous exercise to meet weekly guidelines. It could be a good race or swim – anything that makes your heart beat.
It's worth it. Coaching is one of the best ways to transform physical and mental health. In addition to dramatically reducing the risk of heart disease and chronic diseases like diabetes, physical activity also helps fight depression and anxiety, make you happier and more.
If you lead a sedentary life in general, you may want to work even more. Sitting all day basically causes progressive damage to your heart, according to a recent study. While it is important to follow the basic fitness guidelines, most studies show that this is not enough to compensate for the disadvantages of sitting. To do this, you must essentially double the recommendations, taking between 60 and 75 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a day.
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Again, this may seem like a lot. But when you look at the benefits of exercise, which include the ability to move while feeling good, to ward off the untimely death of a chronic illness and to develop a natural resilience to the debilitating struggles in mental health, it's worth it.
