More U.S. adults are getting physical — or at least that's what they're telling researchers.

A national telephone survey found the percentage of women who report regular physical activity rose to about 47 per cent in 2005, up from 43 per cent in 2001.

The percentage of women who report regular physical activity rose to about 47 per cent in 2005, up from 43 per cent in 2001, while the percentage of men reporting regular exertion rose to about 50 per cent, from 48 per cent.
(CBc)

The percentage of men reporting regular exertion rose to about 50 per cent, from 48 per cent.

The small but significant increases are considered good news, but also seem a little perplexing: U.S. obesity rates are not declining, and there are indicators that some weight-related conditions — such as heart disease — are getting worse in some
adults.

Recent increases in physical activity may not yet be affecting some health indicators, said Teresa Moore, an associate professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina. Or perhaps some people are exercising more but not taking other important steps, added Moore, who was not involved in the research.

"You could be out raking leaves, but if you're eating a high-fat, poor-quality diet, you may still be aggravating the problem," she said.

The survey was conducted by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is being published this week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a CDC publication.

The researchers drew their data from surveys in 2001 and 2005 of non-institutionalized adults who had land-line telephones. About 205,000 people answered questions in the 2001 survey, and 356,000 in 2005.

Respondents were asked about their physical activity in a usual week in their non-working hours. They were considered physically active if they participated in at least 30 minutes of moderate activity five or more days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous activity three or more days a week.

Along racial lines, reported activity rates were highest among whites (50 per cent in 2005) and lowest among blacks (36 per cent).