We all have our moments of curling up on the couch or having a “bed rot” day, as TikTok now lovingly calls it. However, it’s all about balance. It’s unhealthy to be constantly on the go, but it’s also ill-advised to be supine at all times. Some states understand this better than others. TotalShape.com recently analyzed a study from America’s Health Rankings to see which state was the laziest. They did this by identifying which state had the highest percentage of adults who reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days.
This research revealed that, with this metric, Alabama is the laziest state in the U.S. The data showed that over 31 percent of Alabama adults are physically inactive. Broken down further, physical inactivity among those over 65 in the state is above 41 percent. This is more than 10 percentage points higher than the national average. Inactivity in those 45 to 64 is also 12 percentage points higher than the national average for that group: 25.4 percent.
Mississippi and Arkansas landed in second and third place, respectively. West Virginia and Kentucky tied for fourth. The rest of the top ten includes, in order, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Illinois, Delaware, Maine and Ohio. With a few exceptions, the top 10 is largely dominated by southern states.
A spokesperson from TotalShape.com says this data shouldn’t serve as a condemnation, but inspiration. “Add some kind of fitness routine into your lifestyle, whether it be cardio or strength training, there’s something for all generation. Even walking can be enough for older generations to keep a good level of fitness to prevent things like heart disease at an older age.”
