What is Americans’ favorite exercise? New study reveals a surprising trend in fitness habits

Walking is often treated as the simplest, most sustainable way to stay active and for good reason. It requires no equipment, no gym membership, and it fits easily into daily life. But a large new analysis suggests that while walking is extremely popular, it may not be enough on its own for most people to meet widely recommended fitness benchmarks.

A study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, drawing on survey responses from almost 400,000 U.S. adults. The objective was to know which leisure-time physical activities people prefer and whether those options align with federal activity guidelines.

Walking is most popular but not the most effective for fitness goals

The results were notable. Walking appeared as the most frequently reported leisure-time physical activity across both urban and rural groups. In fact, roughly 44.1% of adults indicated that walking was their main form of exercise.

However, popularity did not translate into achieving recommended health standards. Based on the analysis, individuals who primarily walked had the highest likelihood of not meeting either aerobic or muscle-strengthening guidelines compared with other exercise categories. Even more significant, only about one in four walkers (25%) satisfied both recommended benchmarks, while approximately 22% failed to meet either requirement at all. In contrast, participants who reported running, resistance training, or conditioning workouts as their primary activities were considerably more likely to achieve federal physical activity targets.

What the guidelines actually require

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults get:

• At least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity
• Plus muscle-strengthening exercises on two to three days per week

While walking can contribute to aerobic activity mainly if done briskly, it generally does not fulfill the strength-training requirement on its own.

Rural vs urban differences in activity patterns

The study also revealed geographic variations in exercise behavior. Rural residents were more likely to participate in activities such as gardening, hunting, and fishing, whereas urban residents showed higher engagement in running, cycling, dancing, and weight training. Despite differing preferences, urban participants were overall more likely to meet both aerobic and strength-based guidelines compared to rural populations. Researchers suggest that access to facilities, infrastructure availability, and cultural influences may contribute to these differences.

Why this matters: muscle is a key part of health

A key takeaway from the study is that physical activity guidelines are not just about movement, but about different types of movement. Walking supports cardiovascular fitness and daily activity levels, but it does not significantly develop or preserve muscle mass. This distinction is important because muscle deterioration begins gradually with age. Research indicates that adults may lose around 3% to 8% of muscle mass per decade after age 30, a condition known as sarcopenia. This decline is associated with slower metabolism, increased fat storage, reduced mobility, and higher risk of falls and fractures in later life.

Resistance training helps counteract this decline. Studies show it can increase lean muscle mass, boost resting metabolic rate by approximately 7%, and reduce body fat. A large meta-analysis also found resistance training linked to:

• 15% lower risk of all-cause mortality
• 19% lower cardiovascular disease mortality
• 14% lower cancer mortality

The most notable benefits were observed with around 60 minutes per week of resistance exercise, making it a time-efficient health strategy. Additionally, resistance training supports mental well-being by improving mood and increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which promotes brain health and neural growth.

What truly makes the difference

The study aligns with broader longevity research suggesting that higher-effort activities tend to deliver stronger physiological benefits.

Running, weight training, and conditioning workouts share a common feature: they sufficiently challenge the body to trigger adaptation. Walking, although beneficial, generally remains in a lower-intensity range that may not fully satisfy all fitness requirements on its own.

In practical terms:

• Walking supports general cardiovascular health, mental well-being, and daily movement
• Resistance training builds and preserves muscle, supports metabolism, and reduces age-related decline
• Higher-intensity cardio (running, cycling, HIIT) improves cardiovascular fitness more efficiently and helps meet aerobic goals faster

Expert perspective from the study

The researchers emphasized that the findings are not meant to discourage walking but to emphasize gaps between perception and results.

As lead researcher Christiaan Abildso explained:

“We expected to see that walking would continue to be the most common physical activity. However, it was surprising to see that nearly one in four adults who walk as their main activity did not meet either of the physical activity guidelines. That is, they reported less than the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and fewer than the recommended two days per week of muscle-strengthening activity, such as yoga or exercises with resistance bands,”

He also pointed to wider environmental and structural elements influencing activity levels:

“What we might be seeing in these rural–urban differences in preferences may just reflect what people have access to or what is culturally supported. In our work, 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. This could mean creating a wide shoulder on a country road for running and cycling, helping a senior centre with their chair exercise programming, creating or improving park spaces, expanding the national network of rail trails, renovating abandoned and dilapidated structures (brownfields) into viable activity centres, keeping school facilities open to the public, and many other strategies. 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,”

FAQs:

1. Is walking good for health?
Yes, walking supports heart health and general well-being. It is a low-impact activity suitable for most people.

2. Can walking replace all exercise?
Not entirely, because it does not build muscle strength effectively. A balanced routine usually includes strength training.