world health organization physical activity definition

In 2004, about 39 percent of men worked in active jobs, down from 43 percent in 1991-1992. ( 13) Work outside the home has also become less active. households to own second cars and labor-saving appliances. Over the past few decades, it’s become more common for U.K. schoolchildren walked or rode their bikes to school in 1969 by 2001, only 13 percent did so.

( 8) Driving cars increased from 67 percent of all trips to work in 1960 to 88 percent in 2000, while walking and taking public transit to work decreased. Conversely, the percentage of people working in low-activity occupations rose from about 23 percent to 41 percent. In 1950, 30 percent of Americans worked in high-activity occupations by 2000, that proportion had dropped to only 22 percent. ( 7, 8, 10, 11) Some examples from different countries: Physical activity associated with work, home, and transportation has declined due to economic growth, technological advancements, and social changes.

While studies find that sports and leisure activity levels have remained stable or increased slightly, ( 7– 10) these leisure activities represent only a small part of daily physical activity. Worldwide, people are less active today than they were decades ago. This method is not entirely reliable: Studies that measure physical activity more objectively, using special motion sensors (called accelerometers), suggest that people tend to overestimate their own levels of activity. It is challenging for researchers to accurately measure people’s usual physical activity, since most studies rely on participants’ reports of their own activity in a survey or daily log.

Vigorous-intensity activities burn more than 6 METs. Moderate-intensity physical activity is defined as activities that are strenuous enough to burn three to six times as much energy per minute as an individual would burn when sitting quietly, or 3 to 6 METs. For the average adult, this is about one calorie per every 2.2 pounds of body weight per hour someone who weighs 160 pounds would burn approximately 70 calories an hour while sitting or sleeping. One MET is defined as the calories burned while an individual sits quietly for one minute. ( 5) Researchers sometimes use the terms “leisure-time physical activity” or “recreational physical activity” as synonyms for exercise.Įxperts measure the intensity of physical activity in metabolic equivalents or METs. “Exercise,” a subcategory of physical activity, refers to -planned, structured, and repetitive- activities aimed at improving physical fitness and health. “Physical activity” refers to any body movement that burns calories, whether it’s for work or play, daily chores, or the daily commute. Though people often use physical activity and exercise interchangeably, the terms have different definitions. This article defines physical activity and explains how it is measured, reviews physical activity trends, and discusses the role of physical activity in weight control. There’s been some debate among researchers, however, about just how much activity people need each day to maintain a healthy weight or to help with weight loss, and the most recent studies suggest that a total of two and a half hours a week is simply not enough. ( 2– 4) Children should get even more, at least one hour a day. of Health and Human Services, and other authorities recommend that for good health, adults should get the equivalent of two and a half hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week. And it’s clear that this decline in physical activity is a key contributor to the global obesity epidemic, and in turn, to rising rates of chronic disease everywhere. ( 1) Physical activity levels are declining not only in wealthy countries, such as the U.S., but also in low- and middle-income countries, such as China. Globally, about one in three people gets little, if any, physical activity. Inactive (sedentary) lifestyles do just the opposite.ĭespite all the health benefits of physical activity, people worldwide are doing less of it-at work, at home, and as they travel from place to place. It can also lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers, as well as reduce stress and boost mood.

Keeping active can help people stay at a healthy weight or lose weight. But the most variable factor-and the most easily modified-is the amount of activity people get each day. A number of factors influence how many calories (or how much “energy”) people burn each day, among them, age, body size, and genes. Obesity results from energy imbalance: too many calories in, too few calories burned.

World health organization physical activity definition