Which US States are Most and Least Physically Active? Analysis Reveals Ranks

An analysis of US states ranked each state from the most physically active to the least physically active. The findings, initially made in 2024, form part of a wider conversation regarding society and the environment as a whole.

A 2024 study by the US Department of Health and Human Services ranked the country's states from the least physically active to the most physically active outside their occupation. As per The Daily Beast, the findings were highlighted in the United Health Foundation's report on 'America's Health Rankings.' Overall, the study found that adults in the southern US are more physically inactive outside work.

Least Physically Active

Narrowing the study down, the analysis found that amongst the southern US states, it was Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas that ranked the highest percentages of physically inactive adults outside work. Mississippi ranked 30.6 percent, West Virginia at 28.7 per cent, and Arkansas at 28.5 per cent.

This means that the percentage of adults in these states are less or not likely to engage in physical exercise outside work. Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Alabama are close behind on the three when it comes to physical inactivity. They ranked 28 percent of adults in their respective states unlikely to exercise beyond their jobs. Tennessee, however, was not included in the report by the UHF.

Most Physically Active

On the other end of the rankings, the data found that Washington DC, Colorado, and Vermont ranked as the US states with the least amount of people getting no exercise outside work. Washington DC ranks the lowest at 13.9 per cent, Colorado at 15.6 per cent, and Vermont at 16 per cent.

Experts have linked the high inactivity rates in southern states to broader issues on a societal and environmental front. Poverty and limited access to exercise equipment have been attributed to possible reasons for the large numbers of adults in the three states deemed least physically active.

Findings by the HHS suggest that one out of five Americans report not engaging in exercise outside work. The HHS has advised that adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week.

RFK Jr Inverts Food Pyramid

HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr unveiled a new food pyramid in what is seen as a policy reset in terms of nutrition. Alongside Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the new food pyramid for 2025-2030 prioritises the consumption of more protein and healthy fats, whilst warning the public to avoid sugar and highly-processed food for a balanced diet. Kennedy said this new food pyramid hopes to send a message to the American people to eat real food.

'New guidelines recognise that whole nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower healthcare costs,' said Kennedy.

Consumers were also advised on the 1992 Healthy Eating Pyramid to eat red meat and butter sparingly and limit dairy to one to two servings a day. This includes low-fat milk, and in the new food pyramid, full-fat dairy was included alongside red meat.

A 2025 analysis from the National Centre for Health Statistics found that more than half the calories both children and adults consume at home are from ultra-processed foods. The combination of widespread physical inactivity and poor dietary habits suggests America faces mounting public health challenges, with policymakers now looking to both exercise promotion and nutrition reform as twin pillars of any meaningful intervention.