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Physical Activity
Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity
COVID-19: How to Be Physically Active While Social Distancing
Given the health
bene�ts of
regular physical
activity, we might
wonder why
Americans are not active at recommended levels.
Understanding common barriers to physical activity and creating strategies to overcome them may help you make physical
activity part of your daily life. To learn more about how to overcome barriers to physical activity, read below and visit Getting
Started.
Ready to Become More Physically Active?
Learn more about CDC’s nationwide initiative to help 27 million Americans get more physically active.
Suggestions for Overcoming Physical Activity Barriers
Lack of time
Identify available time slots. Monitor your daily
activities for one week. Identify at least �ve 30-
minute time slots you could use for physical activity.
Add physical activity to your daily routine. For
example, walk or ride your bike to work or shopping,
organize school activities around physical activity,
walk the dog, take the stairs, exercise while you
watch TV, park farther away from your destination,
etc.
Select activities, such as walking, jogging, or stair
climbing that you can do based on the time that you
have available (e.g., 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20
minutes).
Take advantage of work physical activity facilities
and/or programs. Hold walking meetings and
conference calls if possible. During phone calls try to
stand, stretch, or move and walk around some, if
possible.
Social support
Explain your interest in physical activity to friends and family. Ask them to support your e�orts.
Invite friends and family members to exercise with you. Plan social activities involving exercise.
Develop new friendships with physically active people. Join a gym or group, such as the YMCA or a hiking club.
Lack of energy
Schedule physical activity for times in the day or week when you feel energetic.
Convince yourself that if you give it a chance, physical activity will increase your energy level; then, try it.
Lack of motivation
https://www.cdc.gov/
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/how-to-be-physically-active-while-social-distancing.html
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/getting_started.html
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/activepeoplehealthynation/about-active-people-healthy-nation.html
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/walking/index.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/worksite-pa/index.htm
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Lack of motivation
Plan ahead. Make physical activity a regular part of your daily or weekly schedule and write it on your calendar.
Invite a friend to exercise with you on a regular basis and write it on both your calendars.
Join an exercise group or class.
Fear of injury
Learn how to warm up and cool down to prevent injury.
Learn how to exercise appropriately considering your age, �tness level, skill level, and health status.
Choose activities involving minimum risk.
Lack of skill
Select activities that don’t require new skills, such as walking, climbing stairs, or jogging.
Take a class to develop new skills.
High costs and lack of facilities
Select activities that require minimal facilities or equipment, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, or calisthenics.
Identify inexpensive, convenient resources available in your community (community education programs, park and
recreation programs, worksite programs, etc.).
Weather conditions
Develop a set of regular activities that are always available regardless of weather (indoor cycling, aerobic dance, indoor
swimming, calisthenics, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking, dancing, etc.)
Page last reviewed: December 6, 2020
Barriers to Being Active Quiz
What keeps you from being more active?
Directions: Listed below are reasons that people give to describe why they do not get as much physical activity as they think
they should. Please read each statement and indicate how likely you are to say each of the following statements:
How likely are you to say? Very likely Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely
Very
unlikely
1. My day is so busy now, I just don’t think I can make the time to
include physical activity in my regular schedule.
3 2 1 0
2. None of my family members or friends like to do anything active, so I
don’t have a chance to exercise.
3 2 1 0
3. I’m just too tired after work to get any exercise. 3 2 1 0
4. I’ve been thinking about getting more exercise, but I just can’t seem
to get started
3 2 1 0
5. I’m getting older so exercise can be risky. 3 2 1 0
6. I don’t get enough exercise because I have never learned the skills
for any sport.
3 2 1 0
7. I don’t have access to jogging trails, swimming pools, bike paths,
etc.
3 2 1 0
8. Physical activity takes too much time away from other
commitments—time, work, family, etc.
3 2 1 0
9. I’m embarrassed about how I will look when I exercise with others. 3 2 1 0
10. I don’t get enough sleep as it is. I just couldn’t get up early or stay
up late to get some exercise.
3 2 1 0
11. It’s easier for me to find excuses not to exercise than to go out to do
something.
3 2 1 0
12. I know of too many people who have hurt themselves by overdoing
it with exercise.
3 2 1 0
13. I really can’t see learning a new sport at my age. 3 2 1 0
14. It’s just too expensive. You have to take a class or join a club or
buy the right equipment.
3 2 1 0
15. My free times during the day are too short to include exercise. 3 2 1 0
16. My usual social activities with family or friends to not include 3 2 1 0
physical activity.
17. I’m too tired during the week and I need the weekend to catch up on
my rest.
3 2 1 0
18. I want to get more exercise, but I just can’t seem to make myself
stick to anything.
3 2 1 0
19. I’m afraid I might injure myself or have a heart attack. 3 2 1 0
20. I’m not good enough at any physical activity to make it fun. 3 2 1 0
21. If we had exercise facilities and showers at work, then I would be
more likely to exercise.
3 2 1 0
Follow these instructions to score yourself:
• Enter the circled number in the spaces provided, putting together the number for statement 1 on line 1, statement 2 on
line 2, and so on.
• Add the three scores on each line. Your barriers to physical activity fall into one or more of seven categories: lack of
time, social influences, lack of energy, lack of willpower, fear of injury, lack of skill, and lack of resources. A score of 5
or above in any category shows that this is an important barrier for you to overcome.
____ + ____ + ____ = ______________________
1 8
15 Lack of time
____ + ____ + ____ = ______________________
2 9
16 Social influence
____ + ____ + ____ = ______________________
3
10 17 Lack of energy
____ + ____ + ____ = ______________________
4 11 18
Lack of willpower
____ + ____ + ____ = ______________________
5
12 19 Fear of injury
____ + ____ + ____ = ______________________
6
13 20 Lack of skill
____ + ____ + ____ = ______________________
7
14 21 Lack of resources
