AARP Exercise survey

The views of 1,011 age-18-plus Americans about physical activity and exercise are the focus of an AARP survey that explores their perceptions of the benefits of exercise, personal exercise preferences, and past and present activity patterns.

Some key findings:

--Nearly half of those interviewed said they have been physically active for a year or longer. Women and men note different reasons for exercising, with women saying they do so for health and weight reasons and men as a way of socializing with others. Women also report walking as their preferred type of exercise, while men note group sports such as basketball, racquetball and soccer.

--Among those who said they were not active or who were planning to be more active in the next few months, 58 percent said they don't exercise because they feel tired or lack energy, 50 percent cited a lack of time and 41 percent said bad weather hinders their exercise routines.

Interviews were conducted for the AARP Bulletin by International Communications Research as part of an omnibus survey between March 29 and April 3.

Further information about the study may be obtained by contacting Dr. Keenan of AARP Knowledge Management at (202) 434-6274.