Prevalence of leisure-time and occupational physical activity among employed adults--United States, 1990.

Regular physical activity and high levels of physical fitness offer numerous health benefits, such as reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, some cancers, and musculoskeletal conditions (1). National rates for participation in leisure-time physical activity are consistently low for women, older adults, persons with low educational attainment, and racial/ethnic minorities (2). Public health recommendations for promoting physical activity emphasize moderate-intensity activities, building on recommendations for vigorous exercise to improve fitness (3,4). To determine the prevalence of leisure-time and occupational physical activity, data were analyzed for employed adults aged > or = 18 years in the 1990 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). This report summarizes the results of the survey, which indicate that approximately half of adults who reported no physical activity during leisure time also reported that they performed at least 1 hour per day of hard physical activity at work.