Time to stand up and get your steps in, Arizona.
Why it matters: Many adults don’t get the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of exercise a week, but they could hit that number with five 30-minute brisk walks a week.
Driving the news: New data from Apple and Brigham and Women’s Hospital indicates many Arizonans aren’t hitting that minimum.
Reality check: That’s true even among Arizonans who track their fitness data with an Apple Watch — presumably a particularly health-conscious bunch.
- And the CDC also recommends two additional days of muscle-strengthening activity.
By the numbers: Only 48.3% of Arizonans last year hit that minimum benchmark, per Apple Watch data.
- That’s below the national average of 54.4%.
Zoom in: Among participants in the study, the states with the highest percentage of people getting 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise were Massachusetts (67.2%), New York (66%) and Connecticut (64.1%), followed then by California (62.3%).
- Mississippi (38.5%), Louisiana (41.3%), Oklahoma (41.4%) and West Virginia (41.7%) were the states with the lowest proportion of 150-minute exercisers.
The bottom line: Make sure to get in a good workout soon, especially while it’s still cool enough in the Valley to exercise comfortably outside.
Beyond the physical health benefits, here’s another reason to go for a stroll today: to boost your mental health and longevity.
Go deeper: Low-impact exercise is taking off.
