Walking May Be More Effective When Combined With Strength Training, Other Activities

on PinterestWalking is the most popular physical activity in the U.S., but experts say this might not be enough to maintain fitness levels.

on PinterestWalking is the most popular physical activity in the U.S., but experts say this might not be enough to maintain fitness levels. Image Credit: Luke Mattson/Stocksy

• Researchers report that walking is the most popular leisure activity in the United States.
• They note urban dwellers also like to run and lift weights, while rural residents also enjoy gardening and hunting.
• Experts say those activities may not be enough for some people to maintain a higher fitness level, so additional exercise may be needed.

Walking is the most popular leisure activity in the United States among both urban and rural residents, according to a new survey.

Researchers reported that urban dwellers also tend to engage in running, weightlifting, and dance, while people in rural areas also enjoy gardening, hunting, and fishing.

The researchers said the differences in leisure activity choices could reflect what people have access to or what is culturally supported in certain areas. They added that urban residents were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people living in rural regions.

The researchers, however, noted that even among walkers, only 25% met combined guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity. About 22% did not meet either guideline.

The researchers reached their conclusions by analyzing telephone survey data collected from a national sample of 396,261 U.S. adults in 2019.

They reported that 44% of respondents listed walking as the activity they spent the most time doing. The data closely matched another U.S. study from 2011.

The new findings were published today in the journal PLOS One.

How to encourage walking and other exercise

The researchers said they hoped their study could help boost physical activity by encouraging people, as well as medical and fitness professionals, to tailor workouts to certain regions and demographics.

“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,” said Christiaan Abildso, PhD, a physical activity specialist at West Virginia University and a lead author of the study, in a statement.

Everyone needs to ask, ‘how does what we’re doing affect physical activity,’ in order to help get people more active, more often, in more places,” he added.

Abildso listed several steps community leaders can take to improve fitness opportunities. Among the suggestions:

• Create a wide shoulder on a country road for cycling and running.
• Expand the national network of rail trails.
• Help a senior center create a chair exercise program.
• Create or improve green spaces such as parks.
• Keep school facilities open to the public.

“This study aligns with other studies on physical activity in the U.S. population,” said Michael Fredericson, MD, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Stanford Medicine in California. Fredericson wasn’t involved in the study.

“This underscores the continued need to encourage easily accessible forms of exercise, such as walking, or more functional activities around the home, which are more doable for folks,” Fredericson told Healthline.

The benefits of walking, gardening

There are numerous benefits to daily walking, a low-stress activity that can help people exercise with a minimal risk of injury.

Past research has indicated that walking on

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