Exercising Enough? Probably Not

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]xercised lately? A few minutes here and there is better than nothing, but it’s not close to enough, particularly according to official exercise guidelines. While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults ages 18-64 participate in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise – as well as muscle-strengthening exercise two or more times a week, not many people are doing so. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, just over 77 percent of U.S. adults fail to meet the guidelines.

Believe it or not, HHS’ “Healthy People 2020” initiative established a goal of having at least 20 percent of adults meeting the guidelines by 2020. According to the National Center for Health Statistics report, 22.9 percent have done so. Good news? We guess it could be worse, but when between seven and eight of every 10 Americans aren’t getting enough exercise, there’s definite room for improvement.

So, are you in the 77 percent group or the 23 percent group? Considering the myriad health and wellness benefits consistent aerobic and resistance exercise provide, we hope you’re a proud member of the latter group. If not, that’s OK; this should be your wake-up call to “step it up,” starting by talking to your doctor about the best way to adopt a consistent exercise program that works for you.