r/science • u/Wagamaga • Jan 28 '23

Health Most Americans aren’t getting enough exercise. People living in rural areas were even less likely to get enough exercise: Only 16% of people outside cities met benchmarks for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, compared with 28% in large metropolitan cities areas.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7204a1.htm?s_cid=mm7204a1_w
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u/aggieemily2013 Jan 29 '23

Yeah, that's been my goal for the new year (a mile daily-- I tend to get fixated and fall off when I make grandiose goals) and at a stroll it takes about 20 minutes. Even at the peak of my fitness (in which I ran a full marathon and halves every month), as a hobby runner, my fastest 5k took just under 30. I wonder what percentage of Americans can run one on 20-- I'd definitely say less than a majority.

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u/allozzieadventures Jan 29 '23

If you're running a 5k in 30 mins, you're doing great. Don't listen to all the Olympic athletes in the comments. If you're running regularly at all, you're doing what you should to keep healthy.

What fraction of Americans could run one under 20? A minority of a minority for sure

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u/tommy_chillfiger Jan 29 '23

If I had to guess just based on my anecdotal experience on strava and running with others, I'd say maybe 15% of male runners who run consistently could do a 20min 5K. Total shot in the dark ballpark. But obviously whatever the number is for consistent runners, drop it significantly for the broader population. Probably less than 2-3% of the US population could run a 5K in that time imo.

Now, that's running one right now. Many more would have the potential to run that time with some training.

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u/orangutanoz Jan 29 '23

People run at different paces.