Less than half of U.S. adults are getting enough aerobic exercise - but a new public health report has provided a cautious note of optimism at improvements over the last four years.
Only 47 percent of people are hitting physical activity targets, a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. However the data, published Tuesday, is a vast improvement on the last findings in 2020 which found that under a quarter of U.S. adults met federal guidelines.
Adults should get at least 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity, or 75-100 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week, to boost heart health and reduce illness, the CDC says. Vigorous activity includes activities like running and cycling; moderate includes walking or mowing the lawn.
While the CDC did not say why numbers had improved, the report suggests that more Americans are becoming aware of the importance of physical fitness for a healthy life.
The study also provided a breakdown of who is getting fitter - and in which states.
Men were more likely to meet aerobic exercise standards than women, the report revealed. So were adults living in western states and those with higher education levels.
Older adults were less likely to meet the CDC activity guidelines than younger people with 38 percent of those aged 65 and older hitting targets compared to 54 percent of 18-34 year olds.
There were also racial differences: white and Asian adults were more likely than Hispanic and Black adults to meet the physical activity recommendations, the CDC said.
Aerobic activities help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the nation’s leading cause of death that is responsible for more than 900,000 deaths each year, according to the CDC.
Cardiovascular disease affects about half of Americans, according to the American Heart Association. That figure is projected to exceed 61 percent of the population by 2050, the association warns.
The anticipated increase is driven by a rise in conditions that contribute to cardiovascular disease, such as obesity, diabetes, unhealthy diet and inactive lifestyle.
There are many steps that adults can take to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease. While maintaining a balanced diet and a healthy weight are critical, beginning with a brisk walk for 20 minutes every day will do the trick, according to the Mayo Clinic.
