Many of us think of exercise as a chore, even when the
health benefits are indisputable. But new data from County Health Rankings
& Roadmaps, which publishes an annual report on a wide range of local
health factors, indicates that, for many Americans, the opportunity to get
moving is not an obligation but a privilege.
At the national level, 22 percent of adults age 20 and over
reported no physical activity during leisure time in 2015. Like most health
measures, this varies significantly by region, getting as high as 40 percent in
parts of the South. Far from being an indication of motivation, however, the
researchers who compiled and analyzed the data say that socioeconomic
indicators like income, education and public safety strongly influence rates of
exercise. In short, those who are inactive are not lazy but, in many cases,
burdened by factors that make activities like running, walking or playing
sports a luxury that is unavailable.
The following map shows each county's level of physical
inactivity. To explore this correlation between physical inactivity and
household income, just manipulate the slider below the map to see the country
divided into thirds by the lowest, middle and highest incomes. The effect is
clear: The one third of counties with the highest incomes have a percentage of
people reporting physical inactivity that drops to 20.1%.
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