Americans Continue to Exercise Less Than Before the Financial Crisis

According to the latest Gallup Poll.

Americans' levels of exercise have tapered off slightly in 2011, after partially rebounding in 2010, and are still not as high as in 2008. The 53.4% of adults who reported exercising for at least 30 minutes three or more days per week in June trails the 54.3% in the same month in 2008.

Frequent exercise levels have yet to fully recover to levels recorded in 2008. Americans' frequent exercise levels fell in the fall of 2008 as the nation's financial crisis took hold and remained suppressed in 2009.

The drop this year in exercise frequency also mirrors a downturn in fruit and vegetable consumption and in healthy eating in general.

And, American senior citizens lead the decline in frequent exercise.

Less than half (48.4%) of seniors, those aged 65 and older, reported exercising for at least 30 minutes three or more days per week in the first half of 2011 -- making them not only among the least likely to say they exercise frequently across all demographic groups, but also the group with the largest decrease in exercise levels since 2008.

Americans aged 45 to 64, Hispanics, and those living in the East are also among the most likely to report exercising less this year than in 2008.

Young adults, on the other hand, are the most likely to exercise frequently, and their levels of exercise are the most improved from 2008. Black Americans are also exercising more frequently than in 2008, but are still among the least likely to do so.

Here is the chart:

Maybe it is the economy and the worries that are resulting from unemployment. But, Americans if they want to live longer and with a bette quality of life need to eat more fruits and vegetables and get off the couch and exercise frequently.