Have You Been Working Out?

A new report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that about 1 in 5 American adults engage in a high level of daily physical activity, while about 1 in 4 engage in little or no regular physical activity.

"Physical activity -- whether it's walking the dog or simply taking the stairs at work -- is essential to good health," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson told reporters. "This study helps give us an even fuller picture of our physical activity status. It confirms that we need to pay more attention to getting adequate physical activity and reversing the alarming rise in obesity that we've experienced nationally during the past decade."

Data compiled in the report, "Physical Activity Among Adults: United States, 2000," came from interviews of about 32,000 people and is the first report of its kind to focus on the amount of physical activity during a person's usual daily activities, including work, leisure time, or some combination of the two.

  A 1997-98 report focusing only on activity during leisure time showed that 7 in 10 Americans were not regularly active during their leisure time. The 2000 report found no significant change in the percentage of adults who are physically active in their leisure time.

  Some highlights of the report include:

About 19 percent of adults engage in a high level of physical activity (defined as "very active during usual daily activities and engaged in regular leisure time physical activity"). In general, men are more likely than women to engage in a high level of overall physical activity, and these rates decline with age.

Another 1 in 4 adults either engage in a low level of activity (i.e. moderately active during usual daily activities and completely inactive during leisure-time) or are never active at all.

Persons who walk or lift or carry moderate to heavy loads in their daily routines are more likely to engage in physical activities during leisure time compared to those who mainly sit or stand.

About one half of all adults walk during their daily routine, while more than one third mainly sit.

Other factors associated with physical activity included:

Education - About 1 in 4 adults with an advanced degree engage in a high level of overall physical activity, compared to 1 in 7 of those with less than a high school diploma.

Income - Adults with incomes below the poverty level are three times as likely to be physically inactive as adults in the highest income group.

Marital Status - Married women are more likely than never married women to engage in a high level of overall physical activity.

Geography - Adults in the South are more likely to be physically inactive than adults in any other region.