Regular physical activity has been shown to be effective in preventing and managing non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and several types of cancer. It also helps maintain a healthy body weight and can improve mental health, quality of life and well-being, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends that adults do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity per week, or their equivalent.
Sedentary behaviour – periods of low physical activity such as sitting and watching television – as well as inadequate levels of physical activity have negative impacts on health systems, the environment, economic development, community, individual well-being and quality of life. However, a new study by WHO researchers in collaboration with academics reveals that almost one-third (31%) of adults worldwide – approximately 1.8 billion people – did not achieve recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.
The results have been published in The Lancet Global Health and warn of a worrying trend towards physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by around 5% between 2010 and 2022. If this trend continues, inactivity levels are expected to rise to 35% by 2030, and the world is currently not on track to meet the global target of reducing physical inactivity by that date.
“These new findings highlight a missed opportunity to reduce cancer and heart disease, and improve mental well-being through increased physical activity,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We must renew our commitments to increasing physical activity levels and prioritise bold action, including strengthened policies and increased financing, to reverse this worrying trend.”
Exercise reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases
The highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%), with inactivity levels in other regions ranging from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Oceania.
It is worrying that gender and age disparities persist. Physical inactivity is more common among women globally compared to men, with inactivity rates of 34% versus 29%. In some countries, this difference reaches up to 20 percentage points. In addition, people over 60 years of age are less active than other adults, underlining the importance of promoting physical activity among older adults.
“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health and contributes significantly to the burden of chronic diseases,” said Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO. “We need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active, considering factors such as age, environment and cultural background. By making physical activity accessible, affordable and enjoyable for all, we can significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and create a healthier and more productive population.”
“We need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active, taking into account factors such as age, environment and cultural background”
Despite the worrying results, there are signs of improvement in some countries. The study showed that almost half of the world’s countries have made some improvements in the past decade, and 22 countries were identified as being on track to meet the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030 if they continue on the same trend.
In light of these findings, WHO urges countries to strengthen the implementation of policies that contribute to promoting and facilitating physical activity through community and recreational sports and active transport (walking, cycling and use of public transport), among other measures.
“Promoting physical activity goes beyond promoting individual lifestyle choices – it will require a whole-of-society approach and the creation of environments that make it easier and safer for everyone to be more active in ways they enjoy in order to reap the many health benefits of regular physical activity,” said Dr Fiona Bull, Head of the WHO Physical Activity Unit.
Collective efforts based on partnerships between government and non-governmental stakeholders will be needed, as well as increased investments in innovative approaches that reach the least active people and reduce inequalities in access to measures that promote and improve physical activity.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO)
