New data has shown that more than one in four adults globally (28 percent or 1.4 billion people) are physically inactive. However, this can be as high as one in three adults inactive in some counties.
Published in The Lancet Global Health the gives an analysis on levels of activity and trend analyses showing that overall, the global level of inactivity in adults that has been said to have remained largely unchanged since 2001.
According to the data, women were less active than men, with an over 8 percent difference at the global level (32 percent men vs 23 percent, women).
High-income countries were said to be more inactive (37 percent) compared with middle income (26 percent) and low-income countries (16 percent).
The statistics show the need for all countries to increase the priority given to national and sub-national actions to provide the environments that support physical activity and increase the opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, to be active every day.
The new Global Action Plan on Physical Activity sets the target to reduce physical inactivity by 10 percent by 2025 and 15 percent by 2030.
Insufficient physical activity is a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases and has a negative effect on mental health and quality of life.
Regular physical inactivity increases peoples risk of poor health, including cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer and diabetes, falls, as well as mental health conditions.
The health benefits of physical activity are well established and include a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and breast and colon cancer. Additionally, physical activity has positive effects on mental health, delays the onset of dementia, and can help the maintenance of a healthy weight