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Physical Inactivity
Physical inactivity, or living a sedentary lifestyle, can increase the risk of several negative health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, cancer mortality, Type 2 diabetes and premature death. Around 10% of deaths among adults ages 40-69 and 7.8% of deaths among adults ages 70 and older can be attributed to physical inactivity.
Changes over time. Nationally, the percentage of adults ages 65 and older in fair or better health who reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days significantly increased 6% from 29.4% to 31.2% between 2018 and 2021. Physical inactivity significantly increased in five states, led by 23% in both Alabama (33.7% to 41.3%) and Maine (28.6% to 35.1%) and 18% in West Virginia (34.7% to 41.0%). Some income, gender and racial/ethnic groups experienced significant increases in physical inactivity, including 12% among older adults with a household income of $25,000-$49,999 (31.7% to 35.5%), 8% among those with a household income less than $25,000 (40.3% to 43.6%), 6% among females (32.2% to 34.1%) and 5% among white older adults (28.6% to 30.0%).
- 2.7 times higher among older adults with less than a high school education (47.8%) than college graduates (17.7%).
- 2.4 times higher among older adults with a household income less than $25,000 (43.6%) than those with an income of $75,000 or more (18.0%).
- 1.9 times higher among Hispanic (39.2%) compared with Asian (20.6%) older adults. American Indian/Alaska Native (38.9%), Black (37.0%) and other race (34.1%) older adults also had a high prevalence, and multiracial older adults (25.2%) also had a lower prevalence.*
- 1.2 times higher among older adults living in non-metropolitan (35.4%) than metropolitan (30.0%) areas.
* Estimates for the four highest and two lowest groups were not significantly different from each other, respectively, based on non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals. The prevalence among Hawaiian/Pacific Islander older adults (33.7%) did not significantly differ from the highest or the lowest group.