New information from the World Health Organization (WHO) is a major alert for health and fitness experts. According to the WHO, nearly 1.8 billion adults are at risk of diseases because they don’t get enough physical activity. This means almost one-third of adults worldwide aren’t meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week.

Not being active enough harms both individuals and society. For individuals, it raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. On a larger scale, it strains health systems and negatively affects the economy and communities.

What’s even more concerning is that the number of inactive adults increased by about 5% from 2010 to 2022, despite global efforts to change this. This raises the question: What can we do differently to boost people’s activity levels significantly?

Let’s look at the numbers more closely. The map of physical inactivity shows some interesting patterns. For example, the United States is slightly less active than the global average (33.7% vs. 31.0%). The most active countries are in Scandinavia (Sweden at 8.7% and Finland at 9.6%) and East Africa, with Malawi leading with only 2.7% of its adults being inactive.

What can we learn from how people in these active countries incorporate physical activity into their daily lives?

Some positive news in the data:

Nearly half of the world’s countries have improved over the past decade, and 22 countries are on track to meet the WHO’s goal of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030.

Encouraged by these positive trends, the WHO urges countries to improve policies to promote physical activity through community sports, active recreation, and transportation options like walking, cycling, and using public transport.

As health and fitness professionals, we need to think creatively about motivating people to become more active. The challenge is to reach those who aren’t typically involved in the fitness world.

Consider this:

How can you reach more people and encourage them to get moving?

“These findings highlight the urgent need for new strategies and proactive steps to tackle physical inactivity,” says Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, FACSM, President and CEO of the American Council on Exercise. “As exercise professionals, we must lead by example and use our expertise and enthusiasm to inspire more people to live active lives.”

Courtesy: ACE Fitness