Exercise in United States

United States

Being physically active and reducing sedentary behavior has many health benefits. Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes a week) is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke and hypertension; Type 2 diabetes; certain cancers including bladder, breast and colon cancer; dementia; anxiety and depression; and mortality from influenza and pneumonia. 

Key physical activity guidelines for adults include:

• At least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity (or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity) aerobic physical activity, such as running, riding a bike, dancing or swimming. 
• Muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups two or more days a week. 
• Moving more and sitting less throughout the day. 

Getting more exercise is associated with lower health care expenditures. A 2015 study found that physically active adults spend, on average, $920 less on health care expenses per year than their inactive counterparts.

According to America’s Health Rankings data, the prevalence of exercise (sufficient to meet aerobic and muscle strengthening guidelines) is higher among:

• Men compared with women.
• Adults ages 18-44 compared with adults ages 45 and older.
• Adults who identify their race as other compared with Hispanic adults. 
• College graduates compared with adults with lower levels of education.
• Adults with an annual household income of $75,000 or more compared with adults with lower incomes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has several recommendations for community efforts to increase physical activity, including built environment approaches to make it easier for people to walk, run, bike, skate or use wheelchairs to get to where they need to go.

County Health Rankings and Roadmaps lists several scientifically supported exercise policies and programs aimed at creating opportunities for active living, including: 

• Active recess, active classrooms and walking school buses for children.
• Offering fitness and exercise programs in community centers.
• Promoting mixed-use development and improving neighborhood walkability.

Further, a study found increased benefit when implementing infrastructure interventions (such as parks, trails and greenways) in tandem with additional interventions such as community engagement, awareness campaigns, structured classes or improved access. Based on these findings, the Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends this combined-intervention approach to increase physical activity and park/trail/greenway use within communities.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives that focus on increasing the proportion of adults who do enough physical activity.

Carlson, Susan A., Janet E. Fulton, Michael Pratt, Zhou Yang, and E. Kathleen Adams. “Inadequate Physical Activity and Health Care Expenditures in the United States.” Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases 57, no. 4 (January 2015): 315–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2014.08.002.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition.” Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf.

Valero-Elizondo, Javier, Joseph A. Salami, Chukwuemeka U. Osondu, Oluseye Ogunmoroti, Alejandro Arrieta, Erica S. Spatz, Adnan Younus, et al. “Economic Impact of Moderate-Vigorous Physical Activity Among Those With and Without Established Cardiovascular Disease: 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.” Journal of the American Heart Association 5, no. 9 (August 29, 2016). https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.116.003614.

Webber, Bryant J., Heather C. Yun, and Geoffrey P. Whitfield. “Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Mortality from Influenza and Pneumonia: A Cohort Study of 577 909 US Adults.” British Journal of Sports Medicine 57, no. 19 (May 16, 2023): 1231–37. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106644.