It’s no secret that a healthy life requires consistent and sufficient exercise, but all over the world, many adults are lacking in this department.
Nearly a third of the global adult population, or about 1.8 billion people, will not meet the recommended level of physical activity in 2022, according to a June 2024 report by the World Health Organization.
According to WHO standards, 150 minutes of moderate intensity, 75 minutes of vigorous intensity, or equivalent physical activity per week is recommended for adults.
People work more on electronic devices, computers, (and) are often sedentary because they are sending emails rather than physically talking … so we don’t travel between meetings.
Fiona Bull
Head of the WHO Physical Activity Unit
The highest prevalence of physical inactivity was seen in the high-income Asia-Pacific region (48%), including South Korea, Japan and Singapore. This is followed closely by the South Asian region (45%), including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“Asia has about 30% of the world’s population, but we carry almost 50% of the world’s disease burden. We have more diabetes, more cancer patients, more cardiovascular patients than anywhere else in the world,” said Abrar Mir. , co-founder of Quadria Capital, on “Squawk Box Asia” on Friday.
Women on average showed higher levels of physical inactivity (34%) compared to men (29%). This gap is most pronounced in the South Asian region, where physical inactivity among women is 14 percentage points higher than among men, according to a report published in the journal The Lancet Global Health.
“Physical activity levels are determined by a number of factors,” said Fiona Bull, head of the WHO’s physical activity unit. This includes personal motivation, time availability, as well as social and environmental factors such as the habits of the people around or even the temperature and climate of the area.
“Women have many roles. They still take the biggest part of the family and home care, which may mean less time, (especially if) they also work,” said Bull.
“And of course, for some populations, especially women and the elderly … it can 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
In children and teens, there can be pressure to focus on academics, leaving less time for exercise, according to Bull, and some of these habits carry over into adulthood.
There is no reason why some regions and groups are more physically active than others.
The onus is on governments to create these policies and allocate resources to prioritize and promote the health and well-being of their people, Bull said.
It is important for governments to provide the necessary funds to create and maintain safe, clean, well-lit and accessible public spaces for local communities to exercise, he advised.
Risk of physical inactivity
Most people have become less active since 2000, as the prevalence of physical inactivity among adults in 2022 has increased to 31.3%, from 26.4% in 2010 and 23.4% in 2000, according to a study based on 507 surveys in 163 countries and regions .
This can be partly explained by the heavy adoption of technology in the last decade.
“People are working more on electronic devices, computers, (and) are often sedentary because they’re sending emails rather than physically talking … so we’re not traveling between meetings,” Bull said.
This lack of exercise puts people at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases, which are “the leading cause of premature death in the world today,” claiming more than 10 million lives each year, Bull said. .
Being physically active can also delay the onset of dementia, according to Bull. Dementia is now the leading cause of death among the elderly, and as the global elderly population continues to grow, the number of people with dementia is expected to reach 78 million by 2030, according to the WHO.
“Physical activity can prevent certain chronic diseases and promote positive mental health and well-being,” Bull said. From improving mood and cognition, to improving learning among children, getting enough physical activity is essential to being healthy.
Tips to be more active
“The key to being more active is to do things you enjoy,” says Bull.
“I recommend everyone to find something new,” he said. “Especially, for those in their mid-adult years who know they need to be more active,” finding an exercise they enjoy can help maintain their health.
For example, games like pickleball can be more accessible than tennis, and can be taken up by the whole family, he suggests.
“Having the support and fun you have with people is a real motivation… and then it will become a habit, then you will start to feel the benefits, and it will reward you to continue and do more,” she said.
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