Diseases of the heart and ones caused by obesity are on a rise, thanks to our urban lifestyle. To decrease the possibility of those there have been some recommended physical activity guidelines on a national level. However, according to a recent report by the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), not even a quarter of Americans are meeting those guidelines.

The recommendation by the Federal physical activity guidelines is that- adults should get at least 75 minutes of vigorous of 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week- this in addition to muscle-strengthening activities at least two times in a week. The NCHS which read the data collected by the National Health Interview Survey over 5 years reported that among the adult ages of 18 to 64 only around 23% are achieving the two set marks. 32% met just one mark, not both and almost 45% of the American population did not achieve either of the benchmarks.

These statistics vary depending on the person’s occupation, gender and also geographical location. Men (around 27%) more than women (roughly 19%) managed to meet with both the guidelines. This percentage increased among the working adults. It was 29% for men and 21% for women.

This is how occupation played a role. The authors who were a part of the study found of those people working in the “professional” or managerial positions were more likely to meet the standards than people in production roles like manufacturing or/and assembly. The report only took in data of leisure-time physical activity, so adults who exercised during commutes or because of active jobs were not a part of the findings.

People in professional positions were more likely to meet the standards than people in roles of production like manufacturing. Although the report just took into account the leisure-time physical activity, so adults who exercise via active jobs or their commutation is not assessed.

In some states, the rate of adherence was way above the national average while in others they were way below. Colorado led the game by having 32.5% of its adults meeting both the stipulated federal exercise guidelines. On the other hand was Mississippi with only 13.5% of its adults meeting the stipulated guidelines.

West Coast and Northeast states on an average had more percentages of residents adhering to the guidelines than the South, there were obviously some exceptions. The reason associated with the extremely low rates of Southeast was that of unemployment, poor health, and disability.

What the results of this study mean is that more Americans should try an inculcate an exercise regime in their day to day lives so as to avoid chronic illnesses and have mental health benefits.