Floridians have a ‘fitness debt’ of 19.5 hours, study says

Palm Coast Observer
Your Town

from: white hot pr

Fitness debt, or fitness deficit, can be defined as the difference between how much exercise you should be doing (according to CDC recommended guidelines of 150 minutes per week), and the amount of exercise you actually do on a regular basis. If you’re exercising your body for fewer hours than it needs to function optimally, you have a fitness debt.

BarBend.com surveyed 4,136 people (18+) to figure out the fitness debt across the country, and Floridians have an average fitness debt of 19.5 hours per year (-15%), as compared to the CDC recommended amount of 130 hours per year (which is 150 minutes per week). This compares to a national average of 14.9 hours fitness debt.

The two Dakotas had an overall fitness credit. South Dakota had a fitness credit of 7.3%, working out for 7.3 hours more per year than the CDC recommended amount of 130 hours. North Dakota also had a fitness credit, but of 3.7%; as people here worked out for 3.7 hours more per year than the recommended guidelines. Comparatively, the state that had the overall highest fitness deficit was Wyoming at 35.6 hours (-35.6%).

View the following infographic illustrating how much fitness debt each state is in: Interactive smart watch showing levels of ‘fitness debt’ across America

Many of us are finding ourselves sitting down more throughout the day, especially since starting to work from home, or using the office/home hybrid system. It may sound innocuous to think about the number of hours per day you are sitting down, but sitting has even been referred to as the "new smoking" based on the number of health issues it can trigger. Research shows that those who spend extended periods of time sitting down have higher rates of certain cancers, as well as heart problems, as compared to those who don’t. It can also lead to poor circulation and weight gain, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.