Almost a third of the world’s population is at risk of developing deadly diseases such as cancer, stroke, dementia and diabetes due to a lack of exercise, the World Health Organisation has said.
About 1.8 billion people, or 31 per cent of adults worldwide, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022, a number projected to further rise to 35 per cent by 2030.
Research shows that a lack of exercise increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia and cancers such as those that affect the breast or bowel.
The WHO urges adults to engage in 150 minutes of exercise of moderate intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, every week, with insufficient physical activity considered as not meeting these weekly guidelines.
Very brisk walking at about 6 kph or faster, heavy cleaning such as washing windows or mopping, cycling at 16-19 kph or badminton are all classed as activities of moderate intensity, while hiking, jogging at 9.6 kph or faster, shovelling, fast cycling and playing football, basketball or tennis are considered vigorous.
When it comes to gender differences, it found women are consistently less likely to exercise than men, with inactivity rates of 34 per cent, compared with 29 per cent.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said: “These new findings highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer, heart disease and improve mental well-being through increased physical activity.
“We must renew our commitments to increasing levels of physical activity and prioritise bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.”
The study, which included data and estimates for 163 countries and territories, found that people above 60 are less active than those who are younger.
And although high-income western countries appear to be slowly reducing rates of inactivity, to 28 per cent of people in 2022, they are still off track.
The World Health Assembly has set a global target – widely expected to be missed – of a 15 per cent reduction in insufficient physical activity between 2010 and 2030.
“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases,” said Dr Rudiger Krech, director of health promotion at the WHO.
“By making physical activity accessible, affordable and enjoyable for all, we can significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and create a population that is healthier and more productive.”
Dr Panagiota Mitrou, director of research, policy and innovation at the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “This timely report is a wake-up call to the world that more needs to be done to encourage people to be more active.
“Governments must recognise that being physically active is incredibly important for our mental and physical health, including protecting against several cancers and supporting people to be a healthy weight, which, in turn, reduces the risk of 13 cancer types.”
Huw Edwards, chief executive of ukactive, Britain's trade body for the exercise sector, said: “These figures should sound the alarm bell for nations around the world and we need to see more urgent action from the next government to address physical inactivity in the UK.
“Physical activity is essential in reducing rates of long-term health conditions so if we do not prioritise getting more people active, the strain on our NHS and our economy will grow.
“We are calling on the government to first commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe and deploy the physical activity sector to boost the nation's physical and mental health.”
Figures from the report suggest the UK is slowly decreasing inactivity, with 20 per cent of people currently inactive.
The UK is on track to meet the 15 per cent target reduction from 2010 to 2030, if the current trend continues.
The study was published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
