Tennessee–Lots of Country Singers, Very Few…

The State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, 2010, provides information on physical activity behavior and policy within each state.  Tennessee ranked on the bottom of the list for the percentage of “physically active” adults (51.8%), with Vermont having the highest percentage (73.3%).

To measure physical activity, the CDC looked at the proportion of adults in each state who achieve at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.

The ten states with the highest percentage of physically active adults are:

1. Vermont, 73.3%

2. Alaska, 72.5%

3. Montana, 72.4%

4. Utah, 71.8%

5. Maine, 71.3%

6. and 7. – Colorado and Wyoming, 70.9%

8. and 9.  – Idaho and Wisconsin, 70.7%

10. Oregon, 70.6%

The ten states with the lowest percentage of physically active adults are:

10. Oklahoma, 62.6%

9. Nevada, 62.5%

8. West Virginia, 62.2%

7. Arkansas, 62.1%

6. North Carolina, 60.9%

5. Alabama, 59%

4. Kentucky, 57.9%

3. Mississippi, 57.2%

2. Louisiana, 56%

1. Tennessee, 51.8%

The CDC study also looked the factors that would influence physical activity, such as the creation or enhancement of access to places for physical activity; physical education and activity in schools and child care settings; state-level policies or laws that support physical activity through urban design, land use, or creating non-motorized travel options; and the effectiveness and training of a state’s public health workforce.  

The complete study is available here.