The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

Abstract

Importance: Approximately 80% of US adults and adolescents are insufficiently active. Physical activity fosters normal growth and development and can make people feel, function, and sleep better and reduce risk of many chronic diseases.

Objective: To summarize key guidelines in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (PAG).

Process and evidence synthesis: The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee conducted a systematic review of the science supporting physical activity and health. The committee addressed 38 questions and 104 subquestions and graded the evidence based on consistency and quality of the research. Evidence graded as strong or moderate was the basis of the key guidelines. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) based the PAG on the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report.

Recommendations: The PAG provides information and guidance on the types and amounts of physical activity to improve a variety of health outcomes for multiple population groups. Preschool-aged children (3 through 5 years) should be physically active throughout the day to enhance growth and development. Children and adolescents aged 6 through 17 years should do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. Adults should do at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. They should also do muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week. Older adults should do multicomponent physical activity that includes balance training as well as aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Pregnant and postpartum women should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week. Adults with chronic conditions or disabilities, who are able, should follow the key guidelines for adults and do both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Recommendations emphasize that moving more and sitting less will benefit nearly everyone. Individuals performing the least physical activity benefit most by even modest increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Additional benefits occur with more physical activity. Both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity are beneficial.

Conclusions and relevance: The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, provides information and guidance on the types and amounts of physical activity that provide substantial health benefits. Health professionals and policy makers should facilitate awareness of the guidelines and promote the health benefits of physical activity and support efforts to implement programs, practices, and policies to facilitate increased physical activity and to improve the health of the US population.

Figure 1.. Percentage of US Adults 18 Years or Older Who Met the Aerobic and Muscle-Strengthening Guidelines, 2008-2016

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Estimates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population using 5 age groups: 18-24 years, 25-34 years, 35-44 years, 45-64 years, and 65 years and older. Annual sample sizes ranged from 9188 (2008) to 16 032 (2014) for men and from 11 955 (2008) to 19 904 (2014) for women. NHIS questions ask about frequency and duration of light-intensity to moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity leisure-time physical activities, as well as the frequency of muscle-strengthening activities. Meeting the aerobic component of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans for this population is defined as reporting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or an equivalent combination. Meeting the muscle-strengthening component is defined as reporting muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days per week. Error bars indicate 95% CIs.

Figure 2.. Percentage of US High School Students Who Met the Aerobic Physical Activity and Muscle-Strengthening Guidelines, 2011-2015

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Annual sample sizes ranged from 6599 (2013) to 6950 (2011) for boys and from 6448 (2013) to 7312 (2015) for girls. Meeting the aerobic component of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans for this population is defined as reporting at least 60 minutes of “any kind of physical activity that increases your heart rate and makes you breathe hard some of the time” on all days during the 7 days before the survey. Meeting the muscle-strengthening component is defined as reporting at least 3 days of “exercises to strengthen or tone your muscles” during the 7 days before the survey. Error bars indicate 95% CIs.