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• 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 a regular basis can help with weight loss as well as preserve lean muscle and reduce belly fat.

A daily walking routine can also improve mood and support long-term weight management.

A 2023 review reported that walking 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day can provide substantial cardiovascular health benefits as well as psychological well-being.

It is also possible that walking an hour a day can burn calories and assist in weight loss.

Gardening can also be considered a moderate physical activity that supports weight management and helps build strength. The time outdoors in a garden can also help your body produce vitamin D, which supports bone strength, calcium absorption, and immune function.

Gardening may also support mental well-being by improving mood and reducing stress.

“Walking and gardening can meet exercise recommendations for most people if performed at sufficient intensity and duration,” said Fredericson. “Still, hunting and fishing, unless there is a lot of walking/hiking, typically do not provide adequate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.”

How to build a more active fitness routine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week.

The agency suggests that exercise could come in the form of brisk walking for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as swimming laps.

The CDC also states that adults need at least 2 days a week of muscle-strengthening activity.

David Cutler, MD, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, recommends people try to meet these minimal time standards in their fitness routines.

“There should be greater emphasis for all adults to meet the minimum exercise guideline of 150 minutes per week,” he told Healthline.

“Their exercise routine should include more than just aerobic exercise, like walking, running, biking, swimming, or dancing. There should also be time devoted to muscle-strengthening exercises of both the upper and lower extremities. This could be as simple as using hand weights and squats.”

Agency officials note that the “exact amount of physical activity needed to maintain a healthy weight varies greatly from person to person.”

Fredericson said a comprehensive weekly exercise program should contain four main components. Those are:

• aerobic exercise (150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate intensity)
• resistance or strength training (twice a week, all major muscle groups)
• flexibility exercises (twice a week)
• balance training (especially for older adults)

He also suggested people can do “exercise snacks,” which consist of physical activity lasting 1 to 5 minutes performed periodically throughout the day. Those quick exercises can include stair climbing, brisk walking, and jumping jacks.

“This approach has demonstrated high compliance rates and can significantly improve cardiorespiratory fitness, particularly in physically inactive adults,” Fredericson said.

Cutler agrees a wide variety of exercise is the best approach.

“Individuals should supplement walking with muscle-strengthening exercises like yoga or resistance bands, and higher-intensity activities such as running, dancing, or cycling,” he said. “Effective ways to increase activity include utilizing community infrastructure like rail-trails, joining senior center programming, and creating local, accessible activity spaces.”

“Core exercises should also be incorporated in a weekly routine,” he added. “These strengthen the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen, leading to improved stability, better posture, and reduced back pain.”

 “Stretching exercises are also important for health aging, injury prevention, and overall fitness,” Cutler noted. “Evidence supports that consistent stretching increases range of motion, reduces joint stiffness, and enhances vascular health.”