One in Four People at Risk Due to Lack of Exercise: World Health Organization

Experts say that worldwide, very little success has been achieved in encouraging people to lead a healthy life by staying active, especially in high-income countries, where the population tends to be more sedentary and comfort-seeking.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a third of the global population, which is around 1.4 billion people, do not engage in the required amount of physical exercise. Due to this inactivity, they are at risk of heart disease, diabetes, and various types of cancer.

Experts mention that although the situation has slightly improved compared to 2001, there is still a need to motivate the public to engage in regular exercise.

Exercise Guidelines for People Aged 19 to 64

How much exercise is necessary? To stay healthy, people should engage in at least 2.5 hours of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Additionally, it is advised to do muscle-strengthening exercises at least two days a week that work on all muscle groups. Light exercise should also be incorporated during long periods of sitting.

What is Moderate Exercise?

Activities like brisk walking, swimming, cycling on flat or inclined terrain, playing tennis, mowing the lawn, hiking, volleyball, and basketball fall under moderate exercise.

What is Vigorous Exercise?

This includes activities like jogging, fast swimming, intense cycling, football, rugby, skipping rope, hockey, and martial arts.

Muscle-Strengthening Exercises These include weight lifting, bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats, gardening, and yoga.

Researchers note that women tend to be more active due to reasons such as higher childcare responsibilities and social expectations that require them to move more.

In 2016, the rate of inactivity in the UK was 36%, with 32% of men and 40% of women being inactive.

Experts also mention that in higher-income countries, sedentary jobs, leisure activities, and the use of cars for transportation have led to an increase in inactivity. In lower-income countries, difficult jobs and the use of public transport to get to work make people more active.

According to a survey, in high-income countries like the USA and the UK, the number of inactive individuals has risen from 32% in 2001 to 37% now, while in low-income countries, this rate remains stable at 16%.

People who do not engage in 75 minutes of vigorous or around 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week are classified as inactive in this study. The number of people exercising has increased in countries like Germany and New Zealand.

Women tend to be less active compared to men, but women from East and Southeast Asia are more active than women in other Asian and affluent Western countries.