Kenyans are among the ten most physically active people in the world, a good measure of health that has more to do with tough economy than choice.
The listing by the World Health Organization indicates more sedentary lives in well-to-do countries and more physical movement in poor ones.
This suggests poor individuals are often forced to walk more by necessity.
In Kenya, the rates of physical inactivity are highest among children, who are still being provided for by their parents.
The report shows in 2022, 85 per cent male and 89 per cent female children below 18 years were physically inactive.
This inactivity drops drastically once they start fending for themselves.
From age 18, only 14 per cent of males and 17 per cent of females are described as physically inactive, WHO said.
This is among the world’s lowest rates of physical inactivity.
WHO said that globally nearly one third (31 per cent) of adults did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.
If the trend continues, levels of inactivity are projected to further rise to 35 per cent by 2030. The WHO said the world is currently off track from meeting the global target to reduce physical inactivity by 2030.
Physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits for humans as it helps prevent and manage noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes
WHO recommends that adults have 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week.
Physical inactivity puts adults at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia and cancers such as breast and colon.
The study was undertaken by researchers from WHO together with academic colleagues and published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
"These new findings highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer, heart disease and improve mental well-being through increased physical activity," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General.
"We must renew our commitments to increasing levels of physical activity and prioritise bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.”
The highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48 per cent) and South Asia (45 per cent), with levels of inactivity in other regions ranging from 28 per cent in high-income Western countries to 14 per cent in Oceania.
Of concern is that disparities remain between gender and age. Physical inactivity is still more common among women globally compared to men, with inactivity rates of 34 per cent compared to 29 per cent.
In some countries, this difference is as much as 20 percentage points. Additionally, people over 60 are less active than other adults, underscoring the importance of promoting physical activity for older adults.
“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases,” said Dr Rüdiger Krech, director of health promotion at WHO.
“We need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active, considering factors like age, environment and cultural background. By making physical activity accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for all, we can significantly reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases and create a population that is healthier and more productive.”
In light of these findings, WHO is calling on countries to strengthen their policy implementation to promote and enable physical activity through grassroots and community sport and active recreation and transport (walking, cycling and use of public transport), among other measures.
“Promoting physical activity goes beyond promoting individual lifestyle choice – it will require a whole-of-society approach and creating environments that make it easier and safer for everyone to be more active in ways they enjoy to reap the many health benefits of regular physical activity,” said Dr Fiona Bull, head of the WHO Unit for Physical Activity.
Collective efforts based on partnerships between government and nongovernmental stakeholders and increased investments in innovative approaches will be needed to reach the least active people and to reduce inequalities in access to measures promoting and improving physical activity.