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Are young adults becoming more or less physically active? Researchers find out

The researchers noted that physical inactivity is a major public health concern linked to various adverse health outcomes.

By Steph Green May 3, 2025 11:31 AM

a close up of a shirtless man running outside — Savvas Stavrinos / Pexels

With all the fitness trends that come and go and the seemingly ever-increasing wave of influencers sharing their fitness journeys on social media, we might think people are becoming more physically active overall. All around me, I’ve seen people becoming more and more interested in improving their fitness and wellness and trying to exercise more and eat healthier.

Recently, researchers investigated the physical activity levels of millions of American adults, with interesting results. Let’s look at the new research.

The study

In the study published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers assessed the physical activity levels of two million American adults from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys between 2011 and 2019. The researchers noted that physical inactivity is a major public health concern linked to various adverse health outcomes.

The study results

The researchers reported that the physical activity levels of adults in general are declining and fewer people are meeting the recommended activity guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity a week. The researchers noted a steady decline, specifically in young adults. Previous research associated increasing age with declines in physical activity, but this study showed many young people are also becoming less and less active over time.

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Only around half of the adults in this study reported sufficient moderate-vigorous activity. The other half simply weren’t getting enough. Interestingly, the study aligned with previous research showing that men are more likely to be physically active than women. The researchers noted that it’s helpful to understand how the behavior of the population shifts and how this impacts public health.

Eat your fruits and veggies

In this study, the following groups were more likely to meet the recommended physical activity guidelines:

Those who ate more fruits and vegetables daily.
Former and never smokers.
Men.
People with a BMI in the normal range.
Those with a higher level of education.

Concluding thoughts

This large study shows us that people might be becoming less physically active overall, which isn’t good news for our health as movement is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle. I think it’s time to do some cardio, lift some weights, or step onto my yoga mat.

Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio

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