The proportion of adults who said they went on a 10-minute walk at least once a week increased to 62 percent in 2010, from 56 percent in 2005, theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention has reported.
Federal guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (like brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (like running) each week. The proportion of people who met federal guidelines for aerobic exercise also grew, to 48 percent in 2010 from 42 percent in 2005, the agency said.
“We know that walking is one of the most popular physical activities that people do,” said Dianna Carroll, a C.D.C. epidemiologist who contributed to the study.
Walking increased across all races, ages and regions. The South showed the biggest increase in people who said they walked during the study period, to 57 percent from 49 percent in 2005. The Northeast showed the smallest increase, to 66 percent from 64 percent.
In the C.D.C.’s National Health Interview Survey, more than 20,000 people were asked to recall how much they had walked in the previous seven days. The study excluded people who said they could not walk.
Dr. Carroll said that Americans could still improve. “We have this increase in walking, but less than half of adults are getting enough activity to show substantial health benefits,” she said.