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QuickStats: Percentage* of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Met the Federal Guidelines for Muscle-Strengthening Physical Activity,† by Age Group and Sex — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2020§
Weekly / May 6, 2022 / 71(18);642
* With 95% CIs indicated by error bars.
† Per U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (https://health.gov/paguidelines). Respondents met the muscle-strengthening guideline if they reported engaging in leisure-time physical activities specifically designed to strengthen muscles, such as sit-ups, push-ups, or lifting weights, at least two times per week.
§ Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population.
In 2020, 35.2% of men and 26.9% of women aged ≥18 years met the federal guideline for muscle-strengthening physical activity. The percentage of men who met the muscle-strengthening guideline decreased with age from 44.5% for those aged 18–44 years, to 29.9% for those aged 45–64 years, and to 22.0% for those aged ≥65 years. The percentage also decreased with age among women from 34.1% for those aged 18–44 years, to 23.8% for those aged 45–64 years, and to 17.2% for those aged ≥65 years. Men were more likely to have met the muscle-strengthening guideline than women in all age groups.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm
Reported by: Elizabeth Heitz, MPH, eheitz@cdc.gov, 301-458-4515.
Suggested citation for this article: QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Met the Federal Guidelines for Muscle-Strengthening Physical Activity,† by Age Group and Sex — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2020§. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:642. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7118a6.
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