One in Four Adolescents Worldwide Still Fails to Meet Daily Physical Activity Recommendations

Regular physical activity during adolescence is important for healthy growth, bone development, cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and mental wellbeing. It can also help reduce the long-term risk of obesity, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.

International health recommendations encourage children and adolescents to average at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily across the week.

However, global research continues to identify a substantial gap between these recommendations and actual activity levels. Approximately one in four adolescents worldwide does not meet the daily activity target, with girls generally less active than boys.

Several factors may contribute to this pattern, including limited access to sports facilities, academic pressure, safety concerns, increased screen time and fewer opportunities for girls to participate in organised sports.

Schools can play an important role by providing regular physical education, accessible sports facilities and inclusive recreational programmes. Families and communities can also encourage walking, cycling, outdoor games and other enjoyable activities.

The findings underline the importance of making physical activity accessible and appealing to adolescents rather than treating exercise only as a competitive sporting activity.