Devastating consequences – fitness certificate: Finland top, Germany flop

Millions of people around the world don’t get enough exercise. This has devastating and no less expensive consequences: in the ten-year period from 2020 to 2030, nearly 500 million people worldwide are at risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression and dementia, including through lack of physical activity .

That’s what a prediction from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests. She recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week to prevent such illnesses. But about 27.5 percent of the world’s population does not achieve this. The problem is twice as great in higher-income countries (36.8 percent) than in low-income countries (16.2 percent).

Germany performs significantly worse than the average of rich countries: here 44 percent of women and 40 percent of men aged 18 to 70 should exercise more.

Certificate for Austria is significantly better
Adults in Austria receive a much more commendable certificate from the WHO: in our country “only” about every third woman (34 percent) and every fourth man (26 percent) have some catching up to do in sport. The WHO sees Finland as a shining example: 16 percent of women and 17 percent of men are not active enough there.

From the age of 70, regular exercise decreases again – also in Austria. Here the proportion of inactive women is 49 percent and men 40 percent. The numbers of 11 to 17 year olds in many countries are alarming. In Germany, 88 percent of girls and 80 percent of boys do not exercise enough. In Austria this is still 85 percent of girls and 71 percent of boys.

Movement within your own four walls is enough
WHO emphasizes that if you have a bad conscience seeing such numbers, you should not force yourself to exercise such as jogging or fitness classes in clubs or clubs. According to experts, brisk walking or cycling also contributes to your own physical fitness. Unfortunately, in some countries, there are still cultural barriers that prevent women from participating in outdoor sports. But you can also stay fit within your own four walls, for example by climbing stairs, playing with children or doing housework. And thanks to the corona pandemic, the fitness offer via internet videos and apps has also increased considerably.

The treatment of the 500 million people named at the outset who are likely to become ill from lack of exercise will cost the world 27.6 billion euros, reports Fiona Bull, head of the WHO Department of Physical Activity in Geneva: “More than 100 million doctors could do with the money and train doctors.”