Nutrition and Physical Activity
Changes over time. Nationally, the percentage of adults age 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 decreased 16% from 31.7% to 26.5% between 2023 and 2024.
Between 2023 and 2024, the percentage of adults age 65 and older in fair or better health who reported
physical inactivity decreased:
- 33% among multiracial (32.3% to 21.8%), 17% among white (30.3% to 25.3%), 16% among Hispanic (39.8% to 33.6%) and 15% among Black (36.9% to 31.2%) adults.
- 21% among those with less than a high school education (50.3% to 39.5%), 16% among those with some post-high school education (30.7% to 25.9%), 14% among high school graduates (40.3% to 34.5%) and 11% among college graduates (18.2% to 16.2%).
- 21% among those with difficulty hearing (39.3% to 31.2%), those with difficulty seeing (46.8% to 37.0%) and those who have difficulty with cognition (49.8% to 39.1%); 15% among those with independent living difficulty (61.9% to 52.7%); 14% among those who have difficulty with self-care (65.4% to 56.3%); 13% among those who have difficulty with mobility (54.8% to 47.5%); and 12% among those without a disability (21.2% to 18.7%).
- 20% among those living in nonmetropolitan areas (37.2% to 29.7%) and 16% among those in metropolitan areas (30.5% to 25.7%).
- 18% among men (28.3% to 23.1%) and 15% among women (34.5% to 29.3%).
- 17% among both those with an annual household income less than $25,000 (45.6% to 37.7%) and those with an income of $25,000 to $49,999 (37.3% to 31.1%), and 14% among those with an income of $50,000 to $74,999 (28.3% to 24.2%).
- 17% among straight adults (31.4% to 26.1%).
- 17% among those who have not served in the U.S. armed forces (31.9% to 26.6%) and 15% among those who have served (30.7% to 26.0%).
During this time frame, the prevalence of physical inactivity decreased in 28 states, led by: 34% in
Massachusetts (30.4% to 20.1%), and 28% in both
Alabama (41.0% to 29.7%) and
Minnesota (28.9% to 20.7%).
Differences. The prevalence of physical inactivity varied significantly by income, disability status, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, geography, gender and metropolitan status in 2024. The prevalence among adults age 65 and older in fair or better health was:
- 3.1 times higher among those with an annual household income less than $25,000 (37.7%) compared with those who have an income of $150,000 or more (12.0%).
- 3.0 times higher among those who have difficulty with self-care (56.3%) compared with those without a disability (18.7%).
- 2.4 times higher among those with less than a high school education (39.5%) compared with college graduates (16.2%).
- 2.0 times higher among Hispanic (33.6%) compared with Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (16.7%) adults.
- 2.0 times higher in West Virginia and Kentucky (both 35.4%) than in Colorado (17.8%).
- 1.3 times higher among women (29.3%) compared with men (23.1%).
- 1.2 times higher among those living in nonmetropolitan areas (29.7%) compared with those in metropolitan areas (25.7%).
Note: No data were available for Tennessee in 2024 or for Kentucky and Pennsylvania in 2023. Differences highlighted the groups with the highest and lowest values. However, the values for certain disability and race/ethnicity groups may not differ significantly based on overlapping 95% confidence intervals. For more information, view physical inactivity data for older adults.
US Summary
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