13.9 percent of older adults meet federal physical activity guidelines

Overall, 13.9 percent of adults age 65 years and older met the federal physical activity guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities in 2022, according to a study published online Nov. 26 in the National Health Statistics Reports, a publication from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Nazik Elgaddal and Ellen A. Kramarow, Ph.D., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, used data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey to estimate the percentage of adults aged 65 years and older who met the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2018 Federal Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

The researchers found that in 2022, 13.9 percent of adults aged 65 years and older met federal physical activity guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. The likelihood of meeting the guidelines was higher among men, White non-Hispanic adults, and those living in metropolitan areas (16.9, 15.2, and 14.7 percent, respectively). There was an increase seen in the percentage meeting the federal physical activity guidelines with increasing education levels and family income and a decrease with the number of chronic conditions. Compared with those reporting good, very good, or excellent health, older adults who reported poor health status had the lowest percentage meeting the guidelines. Compared with adults with disabilities, those without disabilities were three times more likely to meet the federal physical activity guidelines (15.9 versus 5.0 percent).

“Understanding the patterns of physical activity for adults age 65 and older may help inform interventions to promote healthy aging,” the authors write.

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