Walking Is the Most Common Leisure-Time Physical Activity for U.S. Adults

TUESDAY, April 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Walking is the most common leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among U.S. adults, but many who engage in walking still don't meet physical activity guidelines, according to a study published online April 1 in PLOS ONE.Christiaan G. Abildso, Ph.D., M.P.H., from West Virginia University in Morgantown, and colleagues examined the most prevalent LTPAs among U.S. adults and the relationship between LTPA types and meeting physical activity guidelines. The analysis included data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Study.The researchers found that walking was the most prevalent LTPA (44.1 percent). Among rural residents, lawn/garden, hunting/fishing, household, farm/ranch work, childcare, and winter activities were more common. Among urban residents, walking, running/jogging, weightlifting, conditioning, sports, bicycling, water activities, and dance were more common. Nonmetropolitan residents were more likely to be inactive and less likely to meet the minimal aerobic-, muscle-strengthening, and combined physical activity guidelines. For those engaging in walking, one in four met the combined physical activity guidelines and about 22 percent did not meet either physical activity guideline."We see a need to continue to support our partners in small towns and rural places by creating physical, social, and cultural conditions that support physical activity," Abildso said in a statement.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Walking Is the Most Common Leisure-Time Physical Activity for U.S. Adults

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