Nearly a third of adults worldwide fail to meet physical activity recommendations

New data shows that almost a third (31%) of adults worldwide, or around 1.8 billion people, were not reaching recommended levels of physical activity in 2022. Findings highlight trend worryingly high physical inactivity among adults, which increased by about 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022.

If the trend continues, inactivity levels are expected to rise further to 35% by 2030, and the world is currently far from meeting the global goal of reducing physical inactivity by 2030. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults get 1 minute of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week. Physical inactivity puts adults at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and cancers such as breast and colon.

The study was carried out by WHO researchers in collaboration with academic colleagues and published in the journal The Lancet Global Health.

These new findings highlight a missed opportunity to reduce cancer and heart disease and improve mental health and well-being through increased physical activity. We must renew our commitment to increasing physical activity levels and prioritizing bold actions, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend. »

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

The highest rates of physical inactivity were seen 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 disparities remain between gender and age. Physical inactivity is even more common among women globally than men, with inactivity rates of 34% compared to 29%. In some countries, this difference can be as much as 20 percentage points. Additionally, people over 60 are less active than other adults, highlighting the importance of promoting physical activity among older adults.

“Physical inactivity poses a silent threat to global health, contributing 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, taking into account factors such as age, environment and cultural context. 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.

Despite worrying results, signs of improvement are appearing in some countries. The study showed that almost half of the world’s countries have made progress over the past decade, and 22 countries have been identified as likely to meet the global target of reducing inactivity by 15%. by 2030, if their trend continues at the same pace.

In light of these results, WHO calls on countries to strengthen the implementation of their policies aimed at promoting and enabling physical activity through popular and community sport, active leisure and transport (walking, cycling and use of public transport), among other measures.

“These new findings highlight a missed opportunity to reduce cancer and heart disease and improve mental health and well-being through increased physical activity,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO. “We must renew our commitment to increasing physical activity levels and prioritizing bold actions, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.”

“Promoting physical activity goes beyond simply promoting individual lifestyle choice: it will require a whole-of-society approach and the creation of environments that enable everyone to be more active and safer in the right way. they want, in order to enjoy 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 governmental and non-governmental actors and increased investments in innovative approaches will be necessary to reach the least active people and reduce inequalities in access to measures promoting and improving physical activity.