What WVU research reveals about how we move

For many people, "exercise" still conjures images of treadmills, gym memberships and tightly scheduled workouts.

But new research from West Virginia University suggests that how Americans actually move - especially outside major metro areas - looks very different. And more importantly, it may not be enough regardless of where you live.

Researchers, looking at 2019 data from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, found that, while walking is the most common leisure-time physical activity - reported by 44.1% of all adults polled - activity patterns, including types, frequency and intensity of exercise, vary sharply by where people live. The analysis was published last month in the peer-reviewed PLOS One journal.

"A fairly high percentage of [U.S. adults] are not doing enough walking to meet guidelines," said Christiaan Abildso, one of the study's authors and physical activity specialist at West Virginia University Extension and its Family Nutrition Program. "They're doing some, but not enough."

Rural residents are more likely to rely on physically demanding daily tasks like yard work, farming and caregiving, while urban residents tend toward more structured exercise such as running, cycling and weightlifting.

Both groups, however, often fall short of recommended activity levels.

Compared to city dwellers, rural adults were less likely to meet aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines and more likely to be inactive. Even among those who walked for exercise, only about 25% met the full recommendations.

Those guidelines - about 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week - are recommended by many groups, including the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization, and are tied to a wide range of health benefits, from cancer prevention to reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

The takeaway, Abildso said, is that the issue isn't just whether people are moving, but whether the type, intensity and duration of that movement add up.

The hidden activity in daily life

Walking was the most common form of movement, across the board, but people often fell short in either duration or intensity.

Rather than focusing on complicated metrics like heart rate zones, Abildso suggested a simpler benchmark for walkers: pace.

Aim for a moderate intensity of about three miles per hour, or a 20-minute mile. Or, as he put it, "Walk like you're trying to catch an airplane."

That kind of brisk walking - enough to make conversation slightly challenging but still possible - is where many of the health benefits begin.

One of the key insights in the analysis is that people, particularly in rural areas, often don't think of their daily movement as exercise.

Instead, they have a mindset of, "I'm trying to get something done," Abildso said. "And the activity is just like a side effect."

That might include gardening, chopping wood, caregiving or walking to complete errands - all of which can be physically demanding.

Friends Renee Ostrosky and Kim Carlisle, both of New Kensington, were putting in some miles on the walking trails in the city's Memorial Park on Tuesday. The two said they walk every week when possible - sometimes in their own neighborhoods, other times at several parks in the area.

While both women - both are retired from PPG in Springdale, where they became friends more than 30 years ago - say they have sidewalks in their neighborhoods, they generally prefer heading out to a park with trails and varied terrain to get some fresh air, exercise and socializing.

Carlisle said it's important to her to set aside time for physical activity: In my mind, I need to get out, get my heart rate up."

In addition, Ostrosky said she's been getting quite a workout so far this spring by tending to her yard, which hosts a garden, flower beds and lots of hedges that need to be trimmed and shaped.

The physical labor in getting her backyard and landscaping in shape for the summer was enough to induce some sore muscles.

From an exercise science perspective, these types of activities absolutely count.

"A lot of times we don't count that as exercise, because it's just chores that we have to do," said Wendy Batts, an assistant professor in PennWest University's department of exercise, health and sport sciences and a National Academy of Sports Medicine regional master instructor. "But these chores should also add up into counting as activity."

Again, vigor matters.

"The difference really becomes about the intensity of the workout," Batts said.

In other words, being active isn't always the same as getting the kind of sustained, elevated effort that improves cardiovascular health.

Why environment matters

Where you live shapes how you move - sometimes in ways that go beyond personal choice.

Finding a good place for a vigorous walk might be challenging in some rural settings. Imagine walking "next to a coal truck on a 45-mile-an-hour road," Abildso said. "Nobody's going to want to do that."

In rural areas, barriers can include lack of sidewalks, long distances, loose dogs and limited recreational spaces. In urban settings, safety concerns and social norms can also discourage outdoor activity.

Infrastructure gaps like these often dissuade residents from heading into their environments seeking exercise spaces, he said. "It just tells you every day, you're not supposed to walk."

Culture plays a role too. In some communities, structured exercise may feel unfamiliar or even unnecessary, especially when daily life already involves physical work.

Laughing, Abildso recalled one conversation with a Texan about jogging. Abildso asked the man if he ran for exercise and the man answered, "Boy, if I'm running, that means somebody's chasing me.

A different way to think about exercise

If the traditional model of setting aside an hour for the gym feels unrealistic, the experts said it's time to rethink the approach.

Batts pointed to the idea of "exercise snacks," or short bursts of activity spread throughout the day.

Those mini exercise sessions can add up, even if you're doing a bunch of 2- or 3-minute micro bursts of activity. "If you did 10 minutes a day, it's 70 minutes a week," she pointed out.

These mini workouts can mean carrying groceries instead of pushing a cart, taking the stairs, doing squats or lunges during a break or simply walking around the house while on a phone call.

"It doesn't have to be intense and really, really hard," Batts said, adding that "something's better than nothing."

Small changes, real impact

For those looking to build more activity into their lives, both experts emphasized starting simple and being intentional.

To bump up the intensity of a walk, Batts suggested everything from adding hills or uneven terrain to your route to pausing here and there to do bodyweight exercises, like squats or push-ups.

Consistency matters more than jumping straight into high-intensity workouts, especially for beginners, she said.

Those who try to start exercising after long periods of inactivity often try to pick up where they left off years ago, she said. Going from "zero to high intensity" can result in discouragement, along with stiff and sore muscles.

Not everyone has a fitness tracker - and they're not required.

Instead, Batts recommended using the "talk test" to determine rate of perceived exertion. If you can talk comfortably, that is a clue that you should bump up the pace.

"If you are sweating, and you're kind of out of breath, then you're at a higher intensity level," she said.

Making movement social

Another overlooked factor is the role of social connection.

"Just get people together to do something active and healthy," Abildso said.

That could mean forming a walking group, meeting friends for a stroll instead of socializing over a meal or drinks, or participating in community challenges or step competitions.

"People need that invitation," Batts said.

In fact, research strongly suggests that building activity into social routines may be one of the most sustainable ways to stay consistent.

Ostrosky and Carlisle said their weekly walking meetups are as much about the exercise as they are about socializing.

No gym required

Ultimately, both experts agreed: The biggest barrier isn't always access. It's perception.

"The best exercise program is going to be the one that's going to fit your environment and that's going to work for your life," Batts said.

Whether that's walking a rural road, climbing apartment stairs or doing lunges by the mailbox, the goal is the same: Move more, move often, and occasionally, move with purpose.

Because while exercise doesn't necessarily have to look like a workout, it does have to add up.

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