Reacting to the World Health Organisation report that more than a quarter of people worldwide – 1.4 billion – are not doing enough physical exercise, the University’s Dr James Hopker comments that ‘these findings have important implications for the UK government.
‘Research has shown that at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity per week are critical to overall health and prevention of disease.
‘The WHO report published in the Lancet Global Health Journal has suggested that 27.5% of adults worldwide (1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men) do not get enough physical activity.
‘These findings are worrying given the importance of physical activity in the prevention of cardiovascular, stroke, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. The study also suggested that the prevalence of physical activity has changed little over the period since 2001, with a substantial gender gap in most countries studied; women being less active than men.
‘The data also demonstrate a strong influence from national income, with high-income counties such as the UK showing much higher prevalence of physical inactivity, compared to low-income countries.
‘These findings have important implications for the UK government, particularly in relation to the promotion of physical activity as a public health priority. Secondly, there is a clear need to target women using progressive, large-scale, multi-level interventions that create a safe opportunity for them to participate in physical activity.
‘Furthermore, these interventions need to be culturally acceptable for ethnic minority groups, who may have cultural barriers to participation in physical activity.
‘These types of physical activity may be promoted best via “lifestyle” physical activities that can be incorporated into everyday life that don’t require specialist facilities or resources including walking, taking the stairs as opposed to a lift or escalator, or cycling.’
Dr James Hopker
Dr James Hopker, is a Reader in Exercise Physiology in the University of Kent’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences. His main research interest is concerned with responses to exercise and training. Specifically, his current research is concerned with the optimization of the exercise training process.
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