Only about one in five US adults is meeting the overall exercise guidelines set by the US government, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The analysis compared exercise levels in a 2011 survey of about 450,000 people against the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Those recommendations call for 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, or an equivalent combination) plus two sessions per week of muscle-strengthening activity. Half the respondents did say they met the aerobic guidelines, but only 30% reported that they did enough strength training. Compliance dropped with age, especially for muscle-strengthening exercise-a concern, since strength training is important to prevent frailty in older people.
For more on the physical activity guidelines, see www.health.gov/paguidelines/ guidelines/default.aspx.