Porni Banerjee | ২৬ জুন ২০২৪ ১৬ : ৫৭Porni Banerjee

About half of the Indian population are physically unfit as they do not meet the recommended guidelines laid by World Health Organization (WHO) on sufficient physical activity, a study conducted by medical journal The Lancet Global Health said on Tuesday.

The new data revealed that the prevalence of poor engagement in physical exercises has risen from 22.3 percent in 2000 to 49.4 percent in 2022, adding that more 57 percent women are physically inactive compared to 42 percent men.

Putting emphasis on the adverse impacts of poor physical engagement, experts said that the population is at a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes, Type-2 diabetes, dementia and breast and colon cancers as well.

The prevalence of such adults is the highest in India with 49.4 percent, followed by Pakistan with 45.7 percent. Meanwhile, the proportion was only 9.9% in Bhutan and 8.2% in Nepal. And it is further estimated that if this worrisome trend continues, almost 60 percent of Indians will be unfit by 2030. 

WHO recommends adults to engage in at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, per week. Nearly 31 percent people worldwide were physically inactive and did not meet these recommended guidelines in 2022.

“This is because of many factors, including changes in work patterns (move towards more sedentary work), changes in the environment, convenient transportation modes and changes in leisure time activities (that is more screen based/sedentary activities),” said Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO.

Globally, India stands at the 12th position in terms of insufficient physical activity among 195 countries.

Popular ways to stay physically active include walking, cycling, Yoga, working out at gym and sports. Even household chores and jobs requiring manual labour can also help people stay physically active.