Physical activity is a crucial aspect of our daily lives, and its benefits extend far beyond just physical health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. This includes all forms of movement, whether it's during leisure time, for transport, or as part of a person's work or domestic activities. In this post, we'll delve into the benefits of physical activity, the risks of sedentary behaviour, and how individuals, communities, and governments can work together to promote physical activity and improve overall health and well-being.
Regular physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits, including:
Improved physical fitness, cardiometabolic health, bone health, cognitive outcomes, and mental health in children and adolescents.
Reduced risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, specific cancers, incident hypertension, and type-2 diabetes in adults and older adults.
Enhanced mental health, cognitive function, sleep, and reduced body fat in adults and older adults.
Decreased risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, excessive gestational weight gain, delivery complications, postpartum depression, and newborn complications in pregnant and post-partum women.
Sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity are major risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and other poor health outcomes. Sedentary behaviour involves periods of low-energy expenditure while awake, such as sitting, reclining, or lying. The increasing use of motorized transport and screens for work, education, and recreation has led to a rise in sedentary behaviour, which is associated with:
Increased adiposity, poorer cardiometabolic health, reduced fitness, and behavioural issues in children and adolescents.
Higher all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and cancer mortality, and a greater incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type-2 diabetes in adults.
The WHO provides guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour for different age groups, including children, adolescents, adults, older adults, pregnant and post-partum women, and people living with chronic conditions and disabilities. The guidelines recommend:
At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week for adults.
At least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per day for children and adolescents.
Limiting sedentary behaviour and encouraging physical activity in all age groups.
Incorporating muscle-strengthening activities into daily routines.
Despite the numerous benefits of physical activity, many people around the world are not meeting the recommended levels of physical activity. Nearly one-third (31%) of the world's adult population, or 1.8 billion adults, are physically inactive. This number is projected to rise to 35% by 2030 if current trends continue. There are notable age and gender differences in levels of physical inactivity, with women being less active than men, and physical inactivity levels increasing after the age of 60.
Increasing levels of physical activity requires a collective effort from individuals, communities, and governments. The WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity provides policy recommendations for countries and communities to promote physical activity and ensure everyone has more opportunities to be regularly active. These recommendations include:
Ensuring access to walking, cycling, and non-motorized transport.
Increasing physical activity opportunities in schools, workplaces, childcare centres, and healthcare service delivery.
Increasing accessibility and availability of community sports and public open spaces.
Implementing effective policies to increase levels of physical activity requires a coordinated effort across multiple government departments, including health, transport, education, employment, sport and recreation, and urban planning. It also demands national and local engagement from non-governmental organizations, various sectors, stakeholders, and disciplines to support the implementation of policies and solutions appropriate to a country's cultural and social environment.
The WHO supports countries and stakeholders in implementing the recommended actions by:
Developing global policy guidance and guidelines, underpinned by the latest evidence and consensus.
Supporting countries in developing appropriate policies that promote physical activity and multisectoral collaborations.
Conducting advocacy to raise awareness of the multiple benefits of increasing physical activity and supporting the development of economic analysis of the impact of increasing physical activity and return on investment of different policy interventions.
Developing technical tools and training packages to help countries build capacity in the implementation of policy and programs across key settings and innovations using digital platforms.
Convening, coordinating, and collaborating to strengthen partnerships across sectors and between policymakers, practitioners, and researcher communities.
Undertaking global monitoring and reporting of progress on the implementation of the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity, global levels of physical inactivity, and progress towards a 15% relative reduction in the prevalence of physical inactivity by 2030.
Physical activity is a key component of a healthy lifestyle, and its benefits extend far beyond just physical health. By promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour, individuals, communities, and governments can work together to improve overall health and well-being and reduce the burden of NCDs. The WHO guidelines and Global Action Plan on Physical Activity provide a roadmap for countries and communities to promote physical activity and ensure everyone has more opportunities to be regularly active.
