Health Risks of Not Being Physically Active

Not being physically active is a risk factor for health problems. If you aren't physically active, you are at higher risk for:

Cardiovascular disease
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Anxiety and depression
Some kinds of cancer

Facts about inactive lifestyles

Many deaths occur each year due to a lack of regular physical activity. Here are some facts:

More people tend to have an inactive lifestyle as they get older.
Women are more likely to have inactive lifestyles than men.
Non-Hispanic white adults are more likely to get physical activity.
Hispanic and African-American adults are less likely to get physical activity.

Getting active to prevent health problems

Being physically active has been shown to have many benefits. For example:

You are less likely to develop coronary heart disease. This is even if you smoke, drink alcohol, or don’t have a healthy diet.
People of size greatly reduce their risk for disease when they get regular physical activity.
Older adults who are active can reduce their risk for falls. They can improve their ability to do daily activities.

You can help prevent health problems caused by not being physically active. The CDC suggests that you:

Increase your amount of weight-bearing activities. Examples of this are running and walking.
Increase your amount of aerobic activity. This includes running, biking, or swimming.
Do strength training exercises at least twice a week.
Do aerobic activity all during the week. This means things that increase your heart rate.

The CDC suggests that adults with chronic conditions or disabilities do both of the activities below if they are able:

Spend at least 150 minutes of time each week doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity. For instance, you can do 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week.
Do muscle-strengthening activities that include all major muscle groups at least 2 days a week.

If you aren't active or you have chronic health problems, ask your healthcare provider how to safely increase the amount of your daily activity. Even a small daily increase can have health benefits.