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Background
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle has the potential to reduce both cancer- and non-cancer-related morbidity. In particular, physical activity may reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including bladder, breast, colon, endometrium (lining of the uterus), esophagus (adenocarcinoma), kidney, and stomach. Physical activity may lower a person’s risk of health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoporosis (bone thinning). Being active may help to prevent weight gain and obesity, which can reduce the risk of developing cancers that have been linked to excess body weight.
Physical activity also improves the quality of life among cancer patients and survivors. For people with colorectal cancer, women with breast cancer, and men with prostate cancer, greater amounts of physical activity are associated with reduced risk of mortality from the original type of cancer. For people with colorectal cancer and women with breast cancer, greater amounts of physical activity are also associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality.
Several national groups offer recommendations for engaging in regular physical activity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week. Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.
Measure
Percentage of adults aged 18 years and older who reported no leisure-time physical activity during the past month and percentage of adults who meet both the aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines.
Healthy People 2030 Target
- Reduce the percentage of adults who engage in no leisure-time physical activity to 21.2 percent.
- Increase the proportion of adults who meet the objectives for aerobic physical activity and for muscle-strengthening activity to 28.4 percent.
Healthy People 2030 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Note: Goals are indicated as blue line on Detailed Trend Graphs.
Data Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey 1992–2020.
In 2019 the NHIS questionnaire was redesigned to increase relevance, enhance data quality, and minimize respondent burden. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges conducting in-person interviews for the 2020 NHIS, requiring changes to field procedures to conduct most surveys by telephone, which impacted survey response rates. For details related to the potential impacts of these issues, please refer to Potential Impact of NHIS Redesign and COVID-19 on the Cancer Trends Progress Report.
Trends and Most Recent Estimates
No Leisure Time Physical Activity
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
26.1 | 25.1 - 27.0 |
Male
|
24.4 | 23.3 - 25.5 | |
Female
|
27.6 | 26.5 - 28.8 | |
By Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races/Ethnicities
|
26.1 | 25.1 - 27.0 |
Non-Hispanic White
|
22.8 | 21.8 - 23.8 | |
Non-Hispanic Black
|
32.0 | 29.5 - 34.6 | |
Hispanic
|
34.4 | 31.9 - 36.9 | |
By Poverty Income Level
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
<200% of federal poverty level
|
40.2 | 38.3 - 42.0 |
>=200% of federal poverty level
|
20.7 | 19.9 - 21.6 | |
By Education Level
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Less than High School
|
48.4 | 45.2 - 51.7 |
High School
|
35.0 | 33.3 - 36.7 | |
Greater than High School
|
19.6 | 18.7 - 20.4 | |
Meet Federal Guidelines
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
25.2 | 24.5 - 26.0 |
Male
|
29.0 | 28.0 - 30.2 | |
Female
|
21.5 | 20.6 - 22.5 | |
By Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races/Ethnicities
|
25.2 | 24.5 - 26.0 |
Non-Hispanic White
|
27.3 | 26.4 - 28.3 | |
Non-Hispanic Black
|
22.3 | 20.4 - 24.3 | |
Hispanic
|
20.7 | 19.0 - 22.6 | |
By Poverty Income Level
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
<200% of federal poverty level
|
14.7 | 13.6 - 16.0 |
>=200% of federal poverty level
|
29.2 | 28.3 - 30.1 | |
By Education Level
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of adults | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Less than High School
|
9.6 | 7.9 - 11.7 |
High School
|
16.3 | 15.1 - 17.5 | |
Greater than High School
|
28.8 | 27.9 - 29.7 | |
Additional Information on Physical Activity
- Physical Activity and Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
- ACS Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention. American Cancer Society.
- Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Physical Activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
- Physical Activity Evidence-Based Programs Listing. National Cancer Institute.
- Community Preventive Services Task Force Findings: Physical Activity. The Community Guide.
- Move Your Way® Community Resources. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Amount and Intensity of Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Lower Cancer Risk. Matthews CE, Moore SC, Arem H, et al. J Clin Oncol 2020; 38(7):686-697.
- Physical Activity in Cancer Prevention and Survival: A Systematic Review. McTiernan A, Friedenreich CM, Katzmarzyk PT, et al. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 2019; 51(6):1252-1261.
- American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable Report on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Cancer Prevention and Control. Patel AV, Friedenreich CM, Moore SC, et al. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 2019; 51(11):2391-2402.
- 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. Part F. Chapter 4. Cancer Prevention. US Department of Health and Human Services. F4-2 – F4-67.
- Diet, activity and cancer. World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
- FastStats – Exercise/Physical Activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.