We examined survey data to estimate how many U.S. adults meet federal physical activity guidelines.
Between February 2026 and September 2026, we compiled, weighted, and normalized national physical activity survey data. The goal was to estimate how many U.S. adults meet both halves of the federal Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The final dataset reflects the adult population as of 2025 and is broken down by age, sex, and year.
The guidelines set two separate bars. The aerobic bar is at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent combination. The muscle-strengthening bar is activity that works all major muscle groups on at least two days a week. An adult who clears only one of them has met part of the recommendation, and the health benefits described in the guidelines assume both.
Our model counts leisure-time activity as reported by adults themselves, which is the standard national approach. Self-reported activity tends to run higher than activity measured by wearable sensors, so every figure in this report is best read as a ceiling on the true share. In the sections below, we report the headline figure, its trend since 2010, and a detailed age breakdown so readers can locate their own age group in the data.
Share of U.S. Adults Meeting the Activity Guidelines
In the table below, we break down U.S. adults by which of the two federal activity guidelines they met, along with the estimated number of adults in each group.
The Share of U.S. Adults Meeting the Activity Guidelines, 2026
| Guideline status | Share of U.S. adults | Estimated adults |
|---|---|---|
| Met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines | 25.5% | 66.8 million |
| Met aerobic guideline only | 22.2% | 58.2 million |
| Met muscle-strengthening guideline only | 6.4% | 16.8 million |
| Met neither guideline | 45.9% | 120.3 million |
| Met aerobic guideline (with or without strength) | 47.7% | 125.0 million |
| Met muscle-strengthening guideline (with or without aerobic) | 31.9% | 83.6 million |
- We found that roughly one in four U.S. adults, about 66.8 million people, meets both the aerobic and the muscle-strengthening guideline.
- Our data showed that 45.9% of adults meet neither guideline, making it the single largest group in the population.
- We found that 22.2% of adults reach the aerobic target but skip strength work, nearly three and a half times the share who do the reverse.
Share of Adults Meeting the Guidelines by Year, 2010 to 2025
In the table below, we track the share of adults meeting the aerobic guideline and the share meeting both guidelines in each year from 2010 through 2025, followed by a chart of the same series.
The Share of Adults Meeting the Guidelines by Year, 2010 to 2025
| Year | Met aerobic guideline | Met both guidelines | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 46.8% | 20.3% | 26.5 pts |
| 2011 | 47.9% | 20.9% | 27.0 pts |
| 2012 | 48.6% | 21.4% | 27.2 pts |
| 2013 | 48.1% | 21.1% | 27.0 pts |
| 2014 | 49.3% | 22.0% | 27.3 pts |
| 2015 | 49.8% | 22.6% | 27.2 pts |
| 2016 | 50.4% | 22.9% | 27.5 pts |
| 2017 | 51.1% | 23.4% | 27.7 pts |
| 2018 | 50.6% | 23.8% | 26.8 pts |
| 2019 | 48.9% | 23.5% | 25.4 pts |
| 2020 | 47.2% | 24.6% | 22.6 pts |
| 2021 | 46.4% | 24.1% | 22.3 pts |
| 2022 | 47.0% | 24.9% | 22.1 pts |
| 2023 | 47.5% | 25.2% | 22.3 pts |
| 2024 | 48.1% | 25.9% | 22.2 pts |
| 2025 | 47.7% | 25.5% | 22.2 pts |
The combined measure rose by about five percentage points over the 16-year window, from 20.3% in 2010 to 25.5% in 2025, while the aerobic measure peaked in 2017 and has since settled back near 48%. The dip in the aerobic series in 2019 and 2020 coincides with a 2019 redesign of the national survey and a 2020 wording change that removed the word ‘light’ from the moderate-activity question; we treat that shift as a measurement change rather than a behavioral one. The narrowing gap between the two lines indicates most of the progress since 2010 came from adults adding strength training to an existing aerobic routine.
Share of Adults Meeting the Guidelines by Age
In the table below, we break down each guideline outcome by age group. Readers can find their own age band to see how their peers compare.
The Share of Adults Meeting the Guidelines by Age, 2026
| Age group | Met aerobic guideline | Met muscle-strengthening guideline | Met both guidelines | Met neither guideline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 58.1% | 44.9% | 35.8% | 32.8% |
| 25-34 | 55.6% | 40.6% | 33.4% | 37.2% |
| 35-44 | 52.3% | 36.1% | 30.2% | 41.8% |
| 45-54 | 47.4% | 30.4% | 24.6% | 46.8% |
| 55-64 | 43.8% | 27.0% | 21.3% | 50.5% |
| 65-74 | 41.2% | 23.8% | 17.9% | 52.9% |
| 75-84 | 33.5% | 18.1% | 12.6% | 61.0% |
| 85 and older | 21.7% | 10.9% | 6.4% | 73.8% |
| All adults | 47.7% | 31.9% | 25.5% | 45.9% |
- We found that the share of adults meeting both guidelines falls in every successive age band, from 35.8% among adults 18-24 to 6.4% among adults 85 and older.
- Our data showed that the combined share falls 5.6 percentage points between the 35-44 and 45-54 bands, the largest step between any two bands before retirement age.
- We found that a majority of adults in every band from 55-64 onward meet neither guideline, rising to nearly three in four adults 85 and older.
Strength-Training Gap by Age
In the table below, we isolate adults who already meet the aerobic guideline and measure how many of them also strength train at least twice a week.
The Strength-Training Gap by Age, 2026
| Age group | Met aerobic guideline | Aerobic only (no strength) |
|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 58.1% | 22.3% |
| 25-34 | 55.6% | 22.2% |
| 35-44 | 52.3% | 22.1% |
| 45-54 | 47.4% | 22.8% |
| 55-64 | 43.8% | 22.5% |
| 65-74 | 41.2% | 23.3% |
| 75-84 | 33.5% | 20.9% |
| 85 and older | 21.7% | 15.3% |
| All adults | 47.7% | 22.2% |
This view separates the two halves of the recommendation. The share of adults who are aerobically active but skip strength work holds steady, between 22% and 24% for every age band from 18 to 74, which means the decline in the combined measure through those years is driven by the strength bar. Among aerobically active adults 18-24, about six in ten also strength train; among aerobically active adults 85 and older, fewer than three in ten do. Our working interpretation, consistent with the current body of research, is that walking and other aerobic habits persist with age far better than gym-based or resistance habits, which places the strength days as the most common reason an otherwise active adult misses the full guideline.
Share of Adults Meeting Both Guidelines by Age and Sex
In the table below, we break down the share of adults meeting both guidelines by age group and sex, with the percentage-point gap between men and women.
The Share of Adults Meeting Both Guidelines by Age and Sex, 2026
| Age group | Men | Women | Gap (men minus women) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 40.3% | 31.1% | 9.2 pts |
| 25-34 | 37.6% | 29.2% | 8.4 pts |
| 35-44 | 33.9% | 26.6% | 7.3 pts |
| 45-54 | 27.8% | 21.5% | 6.3 pts |
| 55-64 | 23.9% | 18.8% | 5.1 pts |
| 65-74 | 20.6% | 15.5% | 5.1 pts |
| 75-84 | 15.1% | 10.7% | 4.4 pts |
| 85 and older | 8.9% | 4.8% | 4.1 pts |
| All adults | 29.4% | 21.8% | 7.6 pts |
- We found that men meet both guidelines at higher rates than women in every age band, at 29.4% compared with 21.8% overall.
- Our data showed that the gap is widest among adults 18-24, at 9.2 percentage points, and narrows to about 4 points after age 75.
- We found that women 85 and older have the lowest combined rate in the dataset, at 4.8%, about one in twenty.
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- Suggitt Fitness. Suggitt Fitness Research Study. October 2026. Michigan. https://suggittfitness.com
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. 2018. Washington, D.C. https://odphp.health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
- National Center for Health Statistics. Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2020 (NCHS Data Brief No. 443). August 2022. Hyattsville, Maryland. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db443.pdf
- Kramarow, E. A. Characteristics of Older Adults Who Met Federal Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: United States, 2022 (National Health Statistics Reports No. 215). November 2024. Hyattsville, Maryland. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39750973/
- Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2030, Objective PA-05: Increase the proportion of adults who do enough aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity. 2025. Rockville, Maryland. https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/physical-activity/increase-proportion-adults-who-do-enough-aerobic-and-muscle-strengthening-activity-pa-05
- Haile, G., and Zablotsky, B. QuickStats: Adults Aged 25 and Older Who Met the 2018 Federal Physical Activity Guidelines, by Educational Attainment (MMWR). June 2024. Atlanta, Georgia. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7322a3.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Participation in Aerobic and Muscle-Strengthening Physical Activities, United States, 2011 (MMWR). May 2013. Atlanta, Georgia. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6217a2.htm
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