Moving your body, and the years it buys
People who are not active enough have a 20–30% higher risk of dying than people who are. Nearly a third of adults worldwide fall short.
Of all the habits that shape how long and how well people live, physical activity may be the one with the best evidence and the lowest bar. The World Health Organization sets the global guideline, and it is modest.
The guideline
Adults aged 18 to 64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, such as brisk walking or cycling, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as running, or an equivalent mix. That is about twenty minutes a day. Going up to 300 minutes of moderate activity brings additional benefits, and so does muscle-strengthening activity on two or more days a week.
The numbers
According to the WHO, people who are not active enough have a 20–30% higher risk of death than people who are sufficiently active.
In 2024, the WHO reported that nearly 1.8 billion adults, about 31% of the world’s adult population, did not meet the guideline in 2022, and that the share had been rising. Women were less likely to be active than men, and inactivity rose with age.
What activity does
The effects of regular activity reach most of the body:
- The heart and blood vessels. Activity lowers blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and stroke, the leading causes of death in most rich countries.
- Metabolism. It lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and helps keep weight stable.
- Cancer. It is linked to lower risks of several cancers, including colon and breast cancer.
- The mind. Regular activity reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and improves sleep.
- Ageing. Strength and balance protect against falls and keep people independent in old age.
The largest gains come at the bottom. Going from doing nothing to doing a little brings more benefit than going from a lot to a great deal. Someone who starts walking twenty minutes a day at fifty gets more out of it than an athlete adding another training session.
Why people stop
Most children are active; many adults stop being so. The usual reasons are not mysterious: a desk job, a long commute, small children, long hours and the slow loss of a team, a club or a habit. Activity that is built into the day, such as walking or cycling to work, tends to last longer than activity that has to be scheduled. Activity done with other people tends to last longer still.
Questions people ask
Does walking count? Yes. Brisk walking is moderate-intensity activity, and it is the most common way adults meet the guideline. Any activity that raises the heart rate and breathing counts, including cycling, swimming, dancing and active work.
Can you make up for a sedentary week at the weekend? Studies suggest that people who fit most of their activity into one or two days get much of the same benefit as those who spread it out, as long as the total is enough. Spreading it out is easier on the body, though.
Is it too late to start in later life? No. Older adults who become more active improve their strength, balance and heart health, and lower their risk of falls. The WHO guideline for adults over 65 adds activities for balance and strength.
In One Life
Exercise in One Life is a habit tracked year by year, alongside sleep, drinking, smoking and stress, and it starts in childhood: a life arrives in adulthood with the body and the habits its childhood gave it. “Build healthy habits?” is a Life Question, and many ordinary decisions — the club you join, the run you skip, the walk with a friend — move it a little.
A life that trains most weeks has a stronger heart, a better mood and better odds in the late chapters. The game awards a badge called In the habit for it. It also counts what it costs: time, which is always taken from something else.