Get enough exercise, global health body urges in new guidelines, saying it is vital to physical and mental health
- ‘Stay active through the pandemic,’ World Health Organisation’s health promotion chief urges as new guidelines warn of the risks of sedentary behaviour
- With a quarter of adults and four-fifths of children not exercising enough, WHO says getting people to move about more can prevent 5 million deaths a year
The coronavirus pandemic is no excuse for not getting enough exercise, the World Health Organisation said, warning that even before the crisis many people were getting too little physical activity.
In an update of its physical activity guidelines, the United Nations health agency stressed that exercise was vital to physical and mental health, and that sedentary behaviour can have serious repercussions.
“If we do not remain active, we run the risk of creating another pandemic of ill-health as a result of sedentary behaviour.”
There are still no clear statistics on what impact the pandemic has had on physical activity, but lockdowns, movement restrictions, gym closures and other measures have clearly forced many people to stay at home and have disrupted regular activities and exercise routines.