Exercise

Indicator Definition 
Percent of adults (ages 18–64 years) who participated in any leisure-time physical activity within the past month.

Adults who participated in any physical activity in past month in Colorado4

Adults who participated in any physical activity in past month by income in Colorado5

Indicator Significance 
While most adults engage in some leisure-time physical activity, the majority of U.S. adults do not participate in the moderate level of physical activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a trend that has not changed since 2001. The CDC-recommended amount of physical activity for adults is more stringent than the indicator used in the Report Card; it includes at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most and preferably all days. Physical activity is known to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases and to increase overall health and well-being. Research has shown that as people age, their level of physical activity declines, particularly among women. Engaging in 30 minutes of exercise each day can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and feelings of anxiety. A regular exercise regimen is more important than the intensity of the activity.¹

Colorado Specifics
Colorado is one of the best-performing states on this indicator, with more than 80 percent of adults participating in some leisure-time physical activity in the past month. Despite a growing awareness of the health benefits of engaging in leisure-time physical activity, there has been no significant improvement in Colorado’s performance on this indicator since 2000. Recent data show that low-income adults are less likely to engage in leisure-time physical activity than higher-income adults.

Promising Initiatives
In Colorado
Colorado on the Move is the founding affiliate of America on the Move, a national initiative to improve health by increasing physical activity. State affiliates work directly in the schools, work sites and at the community level. The goal of Colorado on the Move is to decrease consumption by 100 calories a day while ensuring that children and adults walk at least 2,000 steps each day. Participants wear pedometers to monitor their steps.²

Elsewhere
The governor of Georgia and the state’s Department of Human Resources has launched a Live Healthy Georgia campaign to promote healthy living and reduce chronic disease. Prevention is the foundation of the statewide campaign. Live Healthy Georgia is designed to raise public awareness of risk factors associated with numerous chronic diseases and to provide information about ways to live a healthier life. Mostly, it’s to encourage Georgians to get more active, and to fit exercise into their daily routines.³

Adults who participated in any physical activity in past month⁶

Text

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Adult Participation in Recommended Levels of Physical Activity, United States 2001 and 2003,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; December 1, 2005.
   
2. Colorado on the Move, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.
   
3. Live Healthy Georgia.
   

Charts

4. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000–2007.
   
5. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   
6. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.