The World Health Organization (WHO) warned this Wednesday that almost a third of adults worldwide (31%), approximately 1.8 billion people, did not reach recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.
The latest data point to a worrying trend of physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by about 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022. If this trend continues, the agency expects inactivity levels to continue rising to reach 35% in 2030.
The figures were collected in a study carried out by researchers from the UN agency together with other academics and published in the journal The Lancet Global Health.
In general, the agency recommends that adults do about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or 75 minutes of intense physical activity.
Health risks
Inactivity puts adults at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and cancers such as breast and colon.
“These new findings highlight a missed opportunity to reduce cancer and heart disease, and improve mental health and well-being by increasing physical activity,” said the WHO director-general.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also indicated that it is necessary Strengthening policies and increasing funding to reverse this trend.
In this regard, the health agency pointed out that to reach the least active people and reduce inequalities in access to promotion measures, collective efforts will be necessary, with the participation of government institutions and civil society.
Promote physical activity
Thus, the WHO asked countries to strengthen the implementation of their policies to promote physical activity through community sports and leisure and transportation (walking, cycling and using public transportation), among other measures.
For the head of the agency’s Physical Activity Unit, Promoting exercise goes beyond an individual choice or a lifestyle.
“It will require a whole-of-society approach and creating environments that make it easier for everyone to be more active in the way they like,” said Fiona Bull.
Inequalities by age and gender
According to the data collected, physical inactivity remains more common among women than men worldwide, with inactivity rates of 34% versus 29%.
Furthermore, people over 60 are less active than other adults, which underlines the importance of promoting physical activity among the elderly.
Despite the results, there are some signs of improvement in some countries. The study revealed that almost half of the world’s countries have made some improvements in the last decade, and 22 countries were identified as likely to reduce inactivity by 15% by 2030 if their trend continues at the same pace.
