The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted a growing health concern: 1.8 billion adults worldwide are at risk of diseases due to sedentary lifestyles.
According to new data released by WHO, a lack of physical activity is the major reason for the increases in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and cancers, including breast and colon cancer.
“New data show that nearly one-third of adults worldwide, approximately 1.8 billion people, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022,” WHO stated. “The findings point to a worrying trend of physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by about 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022.”
WHO recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity each week.
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated the importance of physical activity in preventing chronic diseases and improving mental health. “We must renew our commitment to increasing levels of physical activity and take bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend,” he said.
A study conducted by WHO researchers and academic colleagues, published in The Lancet Global Health journal, revealed that the highest rates of physical inactivity were found in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%).
Inactivity levels in other regions ranged from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Oceania.
The report also mentioned important differences in physical inactivity between genders and age groups.
Globally, inactivity is more common among women (34%) than men (29%), with some countries showing a difference as large as 20 percentage points.
individuals over 60 are less active than younger adults, shows the need to promote physical activity among older populations.
Dr. Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO, called physical inactivity a “silent threat” to global health. “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 healthier, more productive population,” he stated.
The WHO’s findings is a pointer to the need for urgent global initiatives to encourage physical activity and reduce the burden of chronic diseases associated with sedentary lifestyles.
This WHO report is encouraging people globally to be more physically active to lower the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and certain cancers.
It is very important for every adults to make conscious efforts to meet the recommended levels of physical activity: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week.
This report also calls for government at various levels to create accessible ways to motivate various demographic groups, including older adults and women, to be more active.
The whole essence of this report is to encourage people to build in exercising into their daily routine for improved health and well-being.
Simple exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home can be highly beneficial. Consider downloading YouTube videos featuring 5-10 minute workout routines that you can easily build into your daily schedule. These exercises can significantly boost your energy levels each day.
