A quarter of adults worldwide are too sedentary

Nearly one in four adults do not move enough. This represents 28% of the world’s adult population, or 1.4 billion people, quantifies the World Health Organization in a study published in The Lancet Health. Lack of physical activity may affect as many as one in three adults in some countries. The report, by four experts from the World Health Organization, shows that adult inactivity rates have remained broadly unchanged since 2001. Women seem more affected by physical inactivity globally: approximately one in three women versus one in four men do not move enough to stay healthy.

High-income countries are the ones with the highest rate of inactivity (37%) compared to middle-income (26%) and low-income (16%) countries.

The new WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity aims to reduce physical inactivity by 10% by 2025 and 15% by 2030. The stakes are high because the physical inactivity is a source of many health problems. She exhibits at obesity riskof cardiovascular illnessesof cancerof diabetesof falls in the elderlyas well as to mental health disordersrecalls the WHO.

“These data show the need for all countries to increase the priority given to national and subnational actions to create supportive environments for physical activity. […]“, summarize the authors of the study.

150 minutes of exercise per day

According to the WHO, adults between the ages of 18 and 64 should practice at least 150 minutes of endurance activity of moderate intensity (walking, cycling, gardening, etc.) per week or at least 75 minutes of sustained intensity endurance activity (running, team sports, etc.).

The practice of regular physical activity improves cardiorespiratory endurance, preserves muscle and bone condition, and reduces the risk of disease and depressionpoints out the WHO.

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