California is Most Physically Active State in the US: CDC

California tops the list of states with most physically active citizens, finds a survey,

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on the states with most fit and healthy individuals. The agency observed lifestyle habits, indicators of weekly health behavior and access to physical activity among all age groups. They found in most states, adults and high school students regularly indulged in outdoor physical activities and exercises. The CDC officials recommend daily exercises like walking, jogging, running and aerobic activities to keep conditions like depression, cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart diseases and obesity at bay.

The agency's 2008 health recommendations advise adults to get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises or two sessions of strength training in a week. Children and adolescents must involve in outdoor activities like playing, bicycling and running for 60 minutes daily.  

Their findings revealed only 56.3 percent of adults in Massachusetts followed guidelines on daily physical activity. In California, only 9.1 percent of people led a sedentary lifestyle compared to 25.4 percent of total U.S. population.   The experts noted majority of Californians were more physically active than the rest of the country and almost 58.3 percent of them lived just half a mile away from parks, reports the Boston.

Other states like Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, Louisiana and Alabama were the top five states with least physical and outdoor activity, reports the NBC News.

The survey results urge for new strategies and policies to promote health and fitness in the country. It suggests improving public's access to safe locations for exercising, building sidewalks and walking paths in streets to encourage physical activity and promoting physical education in schools.

"Sometimes people overlook that they easiest way for children to engage in physical activity is to have them walk to school. The problem is that some areas don't have sidewalks, crossing lights or signs that show you're entering a school zone," said Claudia Corchado, manager of Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program's health services program in California, reports the California Health Line.

In addition, the reports aim to help local communities and authorities to enable citizens to walk to work or ride bicycles to schools without having to worry about safety.