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Q: How physically active is the U.S. population?
A: Only 26 percent of U.S. adults engage in vigorous leisure-time physical activity three or more times per week (defined as periods of vigorous physical activity lasting 10 minutes or more). About 59 percent of adults do no vigorous physical activity at all in their leisure time.
About 25 percent of young people (age 12 to 21) participate in light-to-moderate activity (e.g., walking, bicycling) nearly every day. About 50 percent regularly engage in vigorous physical activity. Approximately 25 percent report no vigorous physical activity, and 14 percent report no recent vigorous or light-to-moderate physical activity.
Q: What is the cost of physical inactivity?
A: The direct cost of physical inactivity may be as high as $24.3 billion.
Q: What are the benefits of physical activity?
A: In addition to helping control weight, physical activity decreases the risk of dying from coronary heart disease and reduces the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, and colon cancer.[14]
Source: Weight-control Information Network, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/