Are You Getting Enough Exercise?

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, one-third of Americans are not getting enough exercise.

New York - According to the Department of Health and Human Services, one-third of Americans are not getting enough exercise.

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or 70 minutes of vigorous activity.

In 2007, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that only 60 percent of Americans were reaching or exceeding the recommended weekly level of physical activity.

The organization reported that people from the West and with college educations, are more likely to exercise.

The rates were lowest among non-Hispanic blacks, people with less than a high school diploma, and people living in the south.

For the study the CDC used a telephone survey of 399,000 U.S. adults.

“Existing scientific evidence cannot determine whether the health benefits of 30 minutes of activity, 5 days per week, are any different from the benefits of 50 minutes, 3 days per week,” the report reads.

63% of Americans are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0.

The CDC analysis appears in the Dec. 5 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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