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United States Value:
Percentage of adults who reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days
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Percentage of adults who reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days
Percentage of adults who reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days
Percentage of adults who reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days
CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Percentage of adults who reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days
CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
US Value: 23.7%
Top State(s): Colorado: 16.7%
Bottom State(s): Alabama: 31.5%
Definition: Percentage of adults who reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days
Data Source and Years: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2021
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.
Many adults spend a large portion of their time being sedentary (sitting for prolonged periods of time) despite the benefits of regular physical activity. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 8.3% of deaths of non-disabled adults ages 25 and older were attributed to physical inactivity. Being physically active and reducing sedentary behavior benefits health at all ages. Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes a week) is associated with reduced risk of:
Costs associated with physical inactivity account for more than 11% of total health care expenditures and are estimated at $117 billion annually.
The prevalence of physical inactivity is higher among:
Reducing the amount of time spent sitting and increasing physical activity may decrease the health risks associated with physical inactivity. Physical activity guidelines specify that adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Physical activity guidelines for adults include:
The CDC makes several community-level recommendations to increase physical activity, including built environment approaches that make it easier and safer for people to walk, run, bike, skate or use wheelchairs to get to where they need to go. School and youth physical activity programs are also critical for promoting lifelong health and developing active habits early.
Healthy People 2030 has several physical activity objectives, including reducing the proportion of adults who do no physical activity in their free time and increasing the proportion of adults who do enough aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.
Carlson, Susan A., E. Kathleen Adams, Zhou Yang, and Janet E. Fulton. “Percentage of Deaths Associated With Inadequate Physical Activity in the United States.” Preventing Chronic Disease 15 (March 29, 2018): 170354. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd18.170354.
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, 2013 Global Congress on Physical Activity - All Hearts Need Exercise: A Global Call to Action by the AHA, 57, no. 4 (January 1, 2015): 315–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2014.08.002.
Gilchrist, Susan C., Virginia J. Howard, Tomi Akinyemiju, Suzanne E. Judd, Mary Cushman, Steven P. Hooker, and Keith M. Diaz. “Association of Sedentary Behavior With Cancer Mortality in Middle-Aged and Older US Adults.” JAMA Oncology 6, no. 8 (June 18, 2020): 1210–17. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.2045.
Katzmarzyk, Peter T., and I-Min Lee. “Sedentary Behaviour and Life Expectancy in the USA: A Cause-Deleted Life Table Analysis.” BMJ Open 2, no. 4 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2012-000828.
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.
Yang, Lin, Chao Cao, Elizabeth D. Kantor, Long H. Nguyen, Xiaobin Zheng, Yikyung Park, Edward L. Giovannucci, Charles E. Matthews, Graham A. Colditz, and Yin Cao. “Trends in Sedentary Behavior Among the US Population, 2001-2016.” JAMA 321, no. 16 (April 23, 2019): 1587. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.3636.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.