Why You DO Have Time To Exercise
Researchers from the CDC and the Rand Corporation looked at how 32,048 Americans age 15 and older actually spend their time and concluded that there’s plenty available for exercise. Results showed that most people have more than five hours of free time daily, much of which is spent watching television or using cell phones and other electronic devices.
The men in the study spent about 6.6 percent of their time in physical activity while women spent only five percent of their free time engaging in exercise. To determine free time, the researchers accounted for hours spent on normal activities of daily living, such as grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, eating sleeping, grooming and playing with children. The findings suggest that it is feasible for most Americans to spend 20 or 30 minutes daily engaging in physical activity, said Rand Corp. researcher Deborah Cohen, M.D. The challenge will be to convince people to turn off their screens and move for 150 minutes a week
Source:
Roland Sturm et a, “Free Time and Physical Activity Among Americans 15 Years or Older: Cross-Sectional Analysis of the American Time Use Survey,” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, September 26, 2019, dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd16.190017external icon.
More from this week’s bulletin:
- Exercise To Boost Memory
- Exercise To Stay Alive
- This week’s recipe: Fava Bean Bruschetta
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