15 crore Indian adults fail to meet WHO guidelines on physical activity; women are most affected: Survey

Physical activity and regular movement come with many health benefits – however, in spite of knowing that, Indians are leading an inactive lifestyle. According to Dalberg’s State of Sports and Physical Activity (SAPA) report, 155 million Indian adults and 45 million adolescents failed to meet the WHO guidelines of having an active lifestyle. The survey results are alarming and brings attention to the absence of focus in sports and exercises that Indians have.

The survey demonstrates that India needs to push a lot harder to become an active nation. It further stated that even if some people engage in physical activities, they are not too diverse in their movements. The report added that most people, outside their work and daily chores, engage in walking – while, walking has its benefits, it is not enough to have a healthy body. Around 10 percent of adults engage in sports and are not regular. While 66 percent of adolescents engage in sports regularly, their choices are not diverse.