Indicator 5: No Leisure-Time Physical Activity

• Being physically active contributes substantially to healthy aging. Regular physical activity can help prevent or control many of the health problems (e.g., high blood pressure; depression; obesity; and diabetes) that often reduce the quality and length of life for older adults.
• Strength training is of particular importance to older adults, as it can provide relief from arthritis pain; improve balance and reduce the risk of falling; strengthen bones; and reduce blood glucose levels.(1)
• Adults in the United States, however, tend to become less active as they age.
• Call to action:
  • Increasing physical activity among older adults: Strategies from the National Blueprint
  • Increasing physical activity among older adults: Promoting environmental changes
• Evidence-based Program:
  • Enhance Fitness Program
  • Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program
  • National Institute on Aging Exercise Guide

Location Data C.I.* Rank† Grade‡ United States 31.9 n/a n/a n/a Alabama 39.7 (36.1 - 43.4) 48 Alaska 34.9 (27.4 - 43.4) 39 Arizona 27.8 (23.8 - 32.3) 9 Arkansas 34.4 (31.2 - 37.6) 37 California 25.5 (21.9 - 29.5) 3 Colorado 29.1 (25.8 - 32.7) 15 Connecticut 28.3 (25.7 - 31.0) 11 Delaware 28.6 (25.0 - 32.5) 13 District of Columbia 36.9 (31.9 - 42.3) 43 Florida 27.5 (25.0 - 30.1) 8 Georgia 40.0 (36.1 - 44.0) 49 Hawaii§ 26.0 (22.4 - 30.0) 4 Idaho 29.4 (26.4 - 32.7) 16 Illinois 35.0 (31.4 - 38.6) 40 Indiana 37.2 (34.4 - 40.1) 45 Iowa 31.9 (29.1 - 34.8) 26 Kansas 33.9 (31.7 - 36.1) 35 Kentucky 36.2 (33.1 - 39.4) 42 Louisiana 40.9 (38.1 - 43.7) 50 Maine 32.5 (29.0 - 36.2) 30 Maryland 31.7 (27.9 - 35.7) 24 Massachusetts 27.9 (25.2 - 30.7) 10 Michigan 31.6 (28.7 - 34.6) 23 Minnesota 23.1 (20.3 - 26.1) 1 Mississippi 43.4 (40.4 - 46.5) 51 Missouri 33.1 (29.9 - 36.5) 33 Montana 29.4 (26.3 - 32.8) 16 Nebraska 26.9 (24.7 - 29.2) 7 Nevada 30.8 (25.7 - 36.3) 22 New Hampshire 31.7 (28.6 - 35.0) 24 New Jersey 32.6 (30.6 - 34.6) 31 New Mexico 28.4 (25.9 - 31.1) 12 New York 35.6 (32.5 - 38.9) 41 North Carolina 30.4 (28.6 - 32.4) 19 North Dakota 37.2 (33.4 - 41.2) 45 Ohio 32.7 (28.4 - 37.2) 32 Oklahoma 34.6 (32.3 - 37.0) 38 Oregon 24.2 (21.5 - 27.2) 2 Pennsylvania 37.0 (34.3 - 39.7) 44 Rhode Island 34.3 (30.8 - 38.1) 36 South Carolina 33.3 (30.6 - 36.1) 34 South Dakota 28.8 (26.4 - 31.3) 14 Tennessee 38.4 (34.6 - 42.3) 47 Texas 30.5 (27.5 - 33.7) 20 Utah 26.5 (23.2 - 30.1) 6 Vermont 32.2 (29.7 - 34.8) 29 Virginia 32.1 (28.2 - 36.3) 27 Washington 26.0 (24.3 - 27.7) 4 West Virginia 32.1 (28.7 - 35.7) 27 Wisconsin 29.9 (26.6 - 33.4) 18 Wyoming 30.6 (27.3 - 34.0) 21

Make comparisons Healthy People 2010 Targets

= Upper Third (top performing 33%)   = Middle Third (middle 33%)   = Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)         * A confidence interval (CI) describes the level of uncertainty of an estimate and specifies the range in which the true value is likely to fall. The State of Aging and Health in America online report uses a 95% level of significance, which means that 95% of the time, the true value falls within these boundaries.         † Rankings are based on the relative numeric scores for each indicator, with a ranking of "1" indicating the highest rank.         ‡ Grades are calculated as tertiles (thirds) and show state performance relative to all other states.         § 2003 data are used for Hawaii because no 2004 data exist.           Note: When comparing prevalence of variables across states or years, we recommend the use of confidence intervals. If the confidence intervals overlap, the difference is not statistically significant.