The Unexpected Way Your Education Affects Your Fitness Level

Do you have a college degree? If so, you might be more sedentary during the week than if you were less educated. That’s what a new study presented last month at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco suggests.

College-educated Americans are inactive for an average of 8.72 hours daily, while adults without a high school diploma are only inactive for 7.48 hours a day. And while those with degrees are still less active than those without on the weekends, college educated folks get more exercise on weekends (when they’re only inactive for 8.12 hours per day) than they do during the week. People without a high school diploma are inactive for 7.86 hours daily on weekends.

Those numbers may seem small, but they give us a little insight into how our work affects our activity levels, the study authors say: Specifically, college-educated folks are more likely to have a sedentary desk job and get little activity during the day, while those without degrees are more likely to do manual labor that keeps them active on weekdays. And that means the way we recover on weekends is different, too—college grads step up their activity game, while people without degrees may seek more R&R.

Got a desk job? What are your strategies for being more active during the day? Share in the comments below!