Globally, high-income Asia and the Pacific region had the highest prevalence of physical inactivity (48%), according to a June report by the World Health Organization.
Andres Do | E+ | Getty Images
We all know that adequate and consistent physical activity is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, yet globally, many adults fall short in this area.
According to a report released in June 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly one-third of the world’s adult population, or about 1.8 billion people, will not achieve recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.
According to WHO standards, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise and 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, or the equivalent, are recommended for adults per week.
People are increasingly working through electronic devices and computers, communicating by email rather than face-to-face, and are therefore more likely to be in a sedentary position, which means less movement between meetings.
Fiona Bull
Head of the WHO Physical Activity Unit
The prevalence of physical inactivity was highest in high-income Asia Pacific (48%), which includes South Korea, Japan and Singapore, followed by South Asia (45%), which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“Asia has about 30 percent of the world’s population but almost 50 percent of the global disease burden. It has more people with diabetes, more people with cancer and more people with cardiovascular disease than anywhere else in the world,” Abrar Mir, co-founder of Quadria Capital, said on Monday at Squawk Box Asia.
On average, women were more likely to be physically inactive (34 percent) than men (29 percent). The difference was most pronounced in South Asia, where women were 14 percentage points more likely to be physically inactive than men, according to a report published in The Lancet Global Health.
“Levels of physical activity depend on a range of factors,” says Fiona Bull, head of WHO’s physical activity division, including an individual’s motivation and the availability of time, as well as social and environmental factors such as the habits of people around them and the local temperature and climate.
“Women have multiple roles. They still shoulder the majority of the care of the family and the home, and (especially) if they are working, they may have less time,” Bull said.
“And of course, for some people, particularly women and older people, it may be a cultural and social value,” Bull said.
The key to being more active is to do things you enjoy.
Fiona Bull
Head of the WHO Physical Activity Unit
Bull said that for children and adolescents, the pressure to focus on schoolwork can leave them with less time to exercise, and some of these habits may continue into adulthood.
There is no single reason why some areas or groups are more physically active than others.
The onus is on governments to set policies and commit resources to prioritise and promote the health and wellbeing of their people, Bull said.
She suggested it was important for governments to provide the necessary funding to create and maintain safe, clean, well-lit and accessible public spaces where communities can exercise.
The risks of physical inactivity
The study, based on 507 surveys in 163 countries and territories, found that overall population activity has declined since 2000, with the prevalence of physical inactivity among global adults expected to increase to 31.3% by 2022, up from 26.4% in 2010 and 23.4% in 2000.
This can be partly explained by the mass adoption of technology in recent decades.
“People are working more on electronic devices and computers, emailing more than face-to-face conversations, so they’re becoming more sedentary, and so they’re moving less between meetings,” Bull said.
Physical inactivity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, which are “the leading causes of premature death in the world today”, claiming more than 10 million lives each year, Bull said.
Physical activity can also delay the onset of dementia, Bull said. Dementia is now the leading cause of death among older people, and the WHO predicts that the number of people with dementia will reach 78 million by 2030 as the global older population continues to grow.
“Physical activity can prevent certain chronic diseases and promote mental health and well-being,” says Bull. From improving mood and cognition to helping children learn better, getting enough physical activity is crucial to your health.
Tips for being more active
“The key to being more active is to do things you enjoy,” Bull said.
“I would encourage everyone to try new things,” she says, and finding a sport they enjoy can be extremely beneficial for staying healthy, “especially for middle-aged people who recognize they need to be more active.”
For example, she suggested that a game like pickleball is easier to pick up than tennis and can be enjoyed by the whole family.
“The support and enjoyment you get from being with people is a real motivator. Then it becomes a habit, you start to see the benefits and it motivates you to continue and do more,” she said.
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