High-quality studies that measured thousands of people find that average adult Americans are sedentary 55 to 75 percent of the time they are awake.21 Given that most Americans are in bed about seven hours a night, the average time spent being effectively immobile adds up to between nine and thirteen hours a day. Keep in mind these averages mask considerable variation from person to person and over time. Unsurprisingly, Americans tend to be more active on weekends and become increasingly sedentary with age. Whereas young adults tend to sit about nine to ten hours a day, older individuals
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