The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised an alarm over the lack of physical activity among adults posing a risk to global health.
According to a new study conducted by WHO researchers, nearly one third (31%) of adults worldwide, approximately 1.8 billion people, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.
WHO now says the findings point to a worrying trend of physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by about 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022.
If current trends continue, the WHO projects that the rate of physical inactivity could rise to 35% by 2030, placing the world off track from meeting the global target to reduce physical inactivity by that year.
The global health body is recommending that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week to maintain health.
Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for a range of noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and certain cancers such as breast and colon cancer.
“These new findings highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer, 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 levels of physical activity and prioritize bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.”
The data also revealed significant regional disparities, with the highest rates of physical inactivity observed in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%).
In contrast, levels of inactivity ranged from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Oceania.
Gender and age disparities were also noted, with global physical inactivity rates higher among women (34%) compared to men (29%), and older adults over 60 being less active than younger adults.
“Physical inactivity is 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, considering factors like age, environment, and cultural background. By making physical activity accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for all, we can significantly reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases and create a population that is healthier and more productive.”
Despite the worrying results, there are some signs of improvement in some countries.
The study showed that almost half of the world’s countries have made some improvements over the past decade, and 22 countries were identified to be on track to reach the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030, if their trend continues at the same pace.
WHO is now calling on countries to strengthen their policy implementation to promote and enable physical activity through grassroots and community sport and active recreation and transport (walking, cycling and use of public transport), among other measures.
“Promoting physical activity goes beyond promoting individual lifestyle choice – it will require a whole-of-society approach and creating environments that make it easier and safer for everyone to be more active in ways they enjoy to reap the many health benefits of regular physical activity,” said Dr Fiona Bull, Head of the WHO Unit for Physical Activity.
The WHO emphasised that collective efforts based on partnerships between government and nongovernmental stakeholders and increased investments in innovative approaches will be needed to reach the least active people and to reduce inequalities in access to measures promoting and improving physical activity.
