Kentucky isn’t hitting the gym, CDC says. State is 2nd-least physically active in US

Kentuckians don’t much enjoy working up a sweat if they don’t have to, according to a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state is the second-least physically active in the country, the study found. Nearly a third of Kentucky residents — 32.5% of them — don’t get exercise or do any physical activity, unless it’s work-related.

Kentucky is also one of the most obese states, McClatchy News previously reported.

The only state less active than Kentucky was Mississippi, at 33.2%, according to the CDC study released Jan. 20.

Colorado was most active at 17.7%, then Utah and Washington, reporting 18.2% and 18.4%.

Nationwide, the percentage of Americans who didn’t engage in physical activity was 25.3%.

However, Kentucky was one of just five states where physical inactivity among white adults was over 30%, the study found. The others were Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas and West Virginia.

Researchers behind the physical activity study collected survey data from 2017 through 2020 to determine how active people are in communities across the nation, asking respondents if they had participated in “any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise” in the last month, other than for work.

They found significant disparities, not only from one state to another but also by race and ethnicity — which the study concludes may be a result of “barriers” present in some communities, and not in others.

“Examples include lack of safe spaces for physical activity such as parks, unsafe streets with high-speed traffic and no sidewalks, lack of time, and lack of social supports,” the CDC said.

Survey respondents of Asian descent reported being the most active. About 20% said they had not been active at all in the last month.

White people were next at 23%, followed by Native American and Alaska Natives at 29.1%, according to the study. A 6% gap.

Nationally, an even 30% of Black people said they were not physically active, and 32.1% of Hispanics reported the same.

Exercise is important to maintain physical health and overall well-being, the CDC said, and work needs to be done to encourage more active lifestyles.

“Reducing physical inactivity requires a comprehensive effort from many groups — including states, communities, worksites, and individuals — to make it easier for everyone to move more,” the CDC said.

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