One in two Indian adults will not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022, according to new data published in medical journal The Lancet Global Health on Tuesday, resulting in an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and breast and colon cancer, experts said.
The proportion of such adults worldwide was 31%, but in India it was 49.4%, followed by Pakistan at 45.7%. In Bhutan the proportion was only 9.9% and in Nepal 8.2%. It is estimated that on the current trajectory, the proportion of adults not meeting the recommended level of physical activity will reach 59.9% in India by 2030.
The highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%), while inactivity levels in other regions ranged from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Oceania.
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According to experts, the findings point to a worrying trend of physical inactivity among adults, which is set to increase by almost 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022.
“If this trend continues, inactivity levels will increase to 35% by 2030, and the world will fall short of the global target of halving physical inactivity by 2030,” the researchers said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends adults do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or the equivalent. Physical activity refers to all forms of movement. Popular ways to stay active include walking, cycling, wheeling, sports, active recreation and games, and can be done at any level of skill and for everyone to enjoy. WHO experts said household chores or jobs that require physical labor are another way to stay physically active.
Researchers from the World Health Organization conducted the study in collaboration with academic partners.
“These new findings highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer, heart disease and improve mental health through increased physical activity,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “We must renew our commitments to increase physical activity levels and prioritize bold action, including strong policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.”
Experts say disparities persist across gender and age. Physical inactivity is still more common globally among women than men, with inactivity rates at 34% compared to 29%. In some countries, the gap is as high as 20 percentage points. Additionally, people over 60 are less active than other adults, underscoring the importance of promoting physical activity for older adults.
“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases,” Dr. Rudiger Krech, WHO's director of health promotion, said in a statement. “We need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active, considering factors such as age, environment and cultural background. By making physical activity accessible, affordable and enjoyable for everyone, we can significantly reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases and create a population that is healthier and more productive.”
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According to the WHO, regular physical activity reduces the risk of many types of cancer by 8-28%; heart disease and stroke by 19%; diabetes by 17%, depression and dementia by 28-32%. It has been estimated that 4-5 million deaths per year could be avoided if the global population were more active.
Despite the worrying results, there is a silver lining as some countries have shown some signs of improvement. The study found that nearly half of the world’s countries have made some improvements over the past decade, and identified 22 countries that are on track to achieve the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030, if their trends continue at the same pace.
In light of these findings, the World Health Organisation said it urges countries to strengthen their policy implementation to promote and enable physical activity through grassroots and community sport and active recreation, and transport (walking, cycling and use of public transport), among other measures.
Dr Fiona Bull, head of the World Health Organisation's physical activity unit, said: “Promoting physical activity is more than just promoting individual lifestyle choices – it requires a whole-of-society approach and creating environments that make it easy and safe for everyone to be more active, so they can benefit from the many health benefits of regular physical activity.”