Physical Activity Recommendations and Decreased Risk of Mortality

Abstract

Physical activity promotes health and longevity,^1,2 and increasing participation in regular exercise has been a major public health goal in the United States for decades.³ The Office of the US Surgeon General (OSG), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) all endorse a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week, an amount and intensity of activity that is feasible for most Americans.^4,5 Recent nationally representative survey data⁶ indicate that more than 50% of the adult US population do not meet the lower bound of the physical activity recommendations,^4,5 a proportion that has remained essentially unchanged throughout the last decade.⁷ Commonly reported barriers to activity participation include lack of time and the perceived effort of exercise.⁸