The health organization recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week for adults to prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. More than a quarter of the world’s population does not achieve this. In rich countries this number is much higher than in poorer countries.
In most countries, women are less active than men. This may be due in part to cultural norms, the WHO says. In the Middle East and Southeast Asia, these differences between men and women are greater than, for example, in Europe, but in this region too men are more active than women. In addition to gender differences, there are also age differences: old people generally move less than young people.
The WHO hopes governments worldwide will pay attention to the physical activity of their citizens. “The benefits are enormous, not only for the physical and mental health of individuals, but also for societies, environments and economies,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The corona pandemic has brought government initiatives to a standstill, according to the health organization. In addition, the crisis has made some types of physical activity inaccessible to certain communities, such as gyms for poorer people. At the same time, the pandemic also showed how important exercise was for health, the WHO says.