Only 5 percent of Americans perform vigorous physical activity in any given day, according to a study published last week in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Researchers analyzed 2003-2008 data from nearly 80,000 participants in the American Time Use Survey, a national telephone poll that asks people what they did in the past 24 hours.
The researchers from the Penning Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., used previously published metabolic data to classify all activities apart from sleep and work as either sedentary, light, moderate or vigorous.
“Five percent? Are you kidding me? I can’t believe that,” says Dr. Whelan. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
Stier jokes that “we vigorously question this study.”
The article found that most people’s exercise came from food and drink preparation. Stier came across this new steering wheel tray for people who want to eat while getting their exercise by steering — although we presume this works best on straight-aways.