How people connect habits with long-term health
Overview
This topic starts with how adults describe their health, then looks at what they believe shapes long-term well-being.
Personal health behaviors lead the list of perceived health drivers, while physical activity and clinician advice show how prevention enters ordinary routines.
Most adults describe their health positively
A 79.1% share rated their physical health as good, very good, or excellent.
Mental health ratings were similar, with 77.1% choosing good, very good, or excellent.
Stacked breakdown
54.7% say personal health behaviors have the greatest impact on well-being.
Which of the following do you believe has the greatest impact on your overall health and well-being?
- Personal health behaviors (e.g. diet, exercise, sleep, substance use, stress management)
- 54.7%
- Access to healthcare
- 10.9%
- Financial stability
- 12.9%
- Social relationships and support
- 10.4%
- Physical environment (e.g., housing, neighborhood safety, etc.)
- 6.3%
- Work or job conditions
- 2.6%
- Other
- 2.2%
Personal behaviors lead the health drivers
A 54.7% majority selected personal health behaviors, including diet, exercise, sleep, substance use, and stress management, as the greatest influence on overall health and well-being.
That response puts habits ahead of financial stability, access to healthcare, social support, physical environment, and work conditions.
Stacked breakdown
60.4% say they already engage in regular physical activity.
Do you do engage in regular physical activity as described above?
- No, and I do not intend to start regular physical activity in the next 6 months.
- 10.5%
- No, but I intend to start regular physical activity in the next 6 months.
- 12.9%
- No, but I intend to start regular physical activity in the next 30 days.
- 16.1%
- Yes, I have been, but for less than 6 months.
- 17.2%
- Yes, I have been for more than 6 months.
- 43.2%
Additional supporting data from this section.
Stacked breakdown
23.7% were told to increase muscle-strengthening exercise.
To lower your risk for certain diseases, during the last 12 months have you ever been told by a doctor or health professional to increase your muscle-strengthening exercise (e.g., resistance training, body weight exercise)?
- Yes
- 23.7%
- No
- 71.2%
- I don't know
- 5.0%
Exercise shows the prevention gap
A 60.4% share said they already engage in regular physical activity, while others said they intend to start or do not plan to start soon.
A 23.7% share said a doctor or health professional told them in the past year to increase muscle-strengthening exercise to lower disease risk.
Methodology
Full methodology- Mode
- Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population
- US adults age 18+
- Field dates
- 2026-05-01 → 2026-05-04
- Base (unweighted)
- 1,000
- Margin of error
- +/- 3.2%
- Module
- 1
- Sponsor
- Verasight
- Weight variable
- weight
- Weighting targets
- age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status
Sources
[6]- 01In general, would you say your physical health is:Most adults rated their physical and mental health as good, very good, or excellent.reports.verasight.io/reports/sbm-2026
- 02Which of the following do you believe has the greatest impact on your overall health and well-being?A majority selected personal health behaviors, including diet, exercise, sleep, substance use, and stress management, as the greatest influence on overall health and well-being.reports.verasight.io/reports/sbm-2026
- 03Do you do engage in regular physical activity as described above?Six-in-ten adults said they already engage in regular physical activity, while others reported intentions to start.reports.verasight.io/reports/sbm-2026
- 04During the past 7 days, on how many days were you physically active for at least 60 minutes per day?Recent physical activity varied across the week, from no active days to seven active days.reports.verasight.io/reports/sbm-2026
- 05To lower your risk for certain diseases, during the last 12 months have you ever been told by a doctor or health professional to increase your muscle-strengthening exercise (e.g., resistance training, body weight exercise)?About one-quarter said a doctor or health professional told them to increase muscle-strengthening exercise in the past year.reports.verasight.io/reports/sbm-2026
- 06In general, would you say your mental health is:reports.verasight.io/reports/sbm-2026
Citation
SBM Omnibus Survey #2026-049, fielded May 1-4, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.