Just 16.1% of US high schoolers meet CDC exercise guidelines
The CDC survey of 10 710 students finds gains in fruit, vegetables and water, and a drop in daily physical education classes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 2025 edition of its Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) on Oct. 15, 2026. The survey measures how US high school students eat and move. It is a cross-sectional school survey, nationally representative, of 10 710 students in grades 9 to 12.
Only 16.1% met both of the physical activity guidelines the CDC uses: aerobic activity, 60 minutes a day on all seven days, and muscle strengthening on three or more days. Separately, 25.0% met the first and 50.6% the second.
Compared with 2023, daily fruit and vegetable intake, plain water and sports team participation went up. Physical education went down: 19.8% attended class all five school days, against 27.4% two years earlier.
| Behavior | Percent |
|---|---|
| Fruit at least once a day | 38.9% |
| Vegetables at least once a day | 62.5% |
| Plain water, three or more glasses a day | 58.3% |
| Breakfast every day | 27.0% |
| Physical education all five school days | 19.8% |
The authors conclude that most of these behaviors remain uncommon. They suggest that interventions widen access to healthy food and to opportunities for activity, especially in schools.
A second report in the same supplement scored students' cardiovascular health on five indicators. Among 5 192 students with complete data, 20.7% scored high, 61.3% moderate and 18.0% low. Diet, sleep and physical activity were the lowest indicators.
What the survey cannot measure
The data are self-reported, and according to the methods overview, the 2025 round had the lowest response rate in the survey's history: 30.6%. The fruit and vegetable questions measure frequency, not portions, so they do not show whether dietary guidelines are met.
The World Health Organization reports a similar pattern worldwide: its fact sheet, updated on June 26, 2024, says 80% of adolescents, eight in 10, fall short of recommended physical activity.
The survey describes high school students in the United States. It does not measure the general population or students in Mexico, and it does not replace a visit with a health professional.
