- People in Massachusetts get the most exercise in the U.S., the study found
- Only 54 percent of the U.S. meets the recommended weekly exercise goal
- READ MORE: Weekend warriors lose as much weight as regular exercisers
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People in Massachusetts get the most exercise in the US, according to new Apple Watch data.
Only 54 percent of Americans hit the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise per week, the study found.
Researchers from Brigham Women’s Hospital used data from 92,793 US adults who consented to have their Apple Watch measurements collected.
The users’ activity levels were tracked via arm movements, accelerometer, GPS and heart rate – all of which are recorded by the watch.
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Most participants (26.7 percent) were aged between 35 and 44, and 63 percent were male.
The CDC recommends 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise per week, which equates to just five 30-minute brisk walks.
People in Massachusetts may be the most avid exercisers, with 67 percent of study participants from the region hitting that mark.
New York (66 percent) and Connecticut (64 percent) and California (62 percent) had the next highest percentages of people getting 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise.
Meanwhile, Mississippi had the lowest share of exercisers — 39 percent — followed by Louisiana (41 percent), Oklahoma (41 percent) and West Virginia (42 percent).
An important limitation of the study is that the participants were adults who track their fitness data using an Apple Watch, meaning they are likely to be health conscious.
About 31 percent of participants were a healthy weight, while 35 percent were overweight and 32 percent were obese.
In the United States, nearly one in three adults is overweight, and two out of five are obese.
In addition to 150 minutes of aerobic exercise, the CDC also recommends getting an additional two days of muscle-strengthening activity.
In other research, Massachusetts was also ranked highest fitness-obsessed state.