According to a June report from the World Health Organization, the high-income Asia-Pacific region has the highest rate of physical inactivity globally (48%).
Jacob Helbig | Stone | Getty Images
We all know that healthy living requires consistent and adequate exercise, yet many adults worldwide lack the ability to do so.
Nearly one-third of the world’s adult population, approximately 1.8 billion people, Not meeting recommended levels of physical activity According to the June 2024 report, by 2022 Report of the World Health Organization.
According to the World Health Organization, adults are recommended to engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity or equivalent physical activity per week.
People are working more and more on electronic devices, computers and often being sedentary as they send emails instead of having actual conversations… so we travel less between meetings.
Fiona Bull
Head of Physical Activity Unit, World Health Organization
The highest rates of physical inactivity (48%) are found in the high-income Asia-Pacific region, which includes South Korea, Japan and Singapore. This is followed by South Asia (45%), including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“Asia accounts for about 30% of the world's population, but we bear nearly 50% of the world's disease burden. We have more diabetes patients, more cancer patients, more cardiovascular patients than anywhere else in the world,” Abrar Mir ) said the Quadria Capital co-founder on “Squawk Box Asia” on Monday.
Women were on average less physically active (34%) compared to men (29%). The gap is most pronounced in South Asia, where women are 14 percentage points more likely to be physically inactive than men, according to the region. Report Published in The Lancet Global Health.
“Physical activity levels are determined by a range of factors,” said Fiona Bull, head of WHO's physical activity unit. These include personal motivation, time available, and social and environmental factors, such as the habits of the people around us and even the culture of the area. Temperature and climate.
“Women play multiple roles. They still have the greatest home and home care responsibilities, which may mean they have less time, (especially if they work at the same time),” Bull said.
“Certainly, for certain groups of people, particularly women and older adults… it may be cultural and social values,” Bull said.
The key to becoming more active is to do things you enjoy.
Fiona Bull
Head of Physical Activity Unit, World Health Organization
Bull said children and teenagers may face pressure to focus on academics, leading to less time for exercise, and some of these habits may carry over into adulthood.
There is no single reason why some areas and groups are more active than others.
Bull said governments have a responsibility to develop policies and commit resources to prioritize and promote the health and well-being of their people.
She recommended that governments must provide the necessary funding to create and maintain safe, clean, well-lit and accessible public spaces for local communities to use for sport.
Risks of physical inactivity
According to statistics, people's physical activity has generally declined since 2000. By 2022, the proportion of global adults who are physically inactive will increase from 26.4% in 2010 and 23.4% in 2000 to 31.3%. study The report is based on 507 surveys in 163 countries and regions.
The massive adoption of technology in recent decades may partly explain this.
“People are working more and more on electronic devices, computers, and often being sedentary because they're sending emails instead of having face-to-face conversations… so we're traveling less between meetings,” Bull said. .
Bull said physical inactivity puts people at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, which are “the leading cause of premature death in the world today” and claim more than 10 million lives each year .
Physical activity can also delay the onset of dementia, Bull said. Dementia is currently the leading cause of death among the elderly. As the global elderly population continues to grow, the number of dementia patients is expected to reach 78 million by 2030. According to the World Health Organization.
“Physical activity can both protect against certain chronic diseases and promote positive mental health and well-being,” Bull said. From improving mood and cognition to promoting learning in children, adequate physical activity is critical to good health.
Tips for becoming more active
“The key to becoming more active is to do things you enjoy,” Bull says.
“I recommend everyone try new things,” she said. “Especially for middle-aged people who realize they need to be more active,” finding an exercise you enjoy can be very helpful in staying healthy.
For example, sports like pickleball are more accessible than tennis and can be embraced by the whole family, she suggests.
“Getting support and having fun through being with people is a real motivator…and then it becomes a habit and then you start to feel the benefits, which will reward you to keep doing more,” she explain.
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