Combatting inactivity in Europe: Promoting a healthier lifestyle?

Despite the widely recognised advantages of an active lifestyle, including lowering the risk of chronic diseases and preventing premature death, Europeans don’t exercise enough. The data from the OECD’s report “Step Up! Tackling the Burden of Insufficient Physical Activity in Europe” showcase an alarming situation within Europe, as around 45% of Europeans declare that they never exercise or play sports.

What are the reasons behind the high levels of physical inactivity in our continent? What can be done to overturn this worrying trend and encourage as many people as possible to adopt a healthier lifestyle?

Physical activity isn’t just about exercising or doing sports; according to WHO’s definition, it’s any movement of the body, moderate or vigorous, that involves our muscles and expends energy. Physical activity thus comprehends all forms of mobility we carry out daily, such as cycling, walking, swimming, dancing, transfer work and doing housework. What matters in terms of health benefits are its frequency, duration and intensity.

While your lifestyle can influence how much you move, being sedentary doesn’t always mean you’re not active and vice-versa.

Dr. Hidde van der Ploeg, professor of physical activity and public health at the Department of Public and Occupational Health of Amsterdam UMC: “You can be quite sedentary and active at the same time. And the reverse is also possible. So, you can be inactive but not sedentary. For example, suppose you have a job where you’re on your feet all day, like working in a store or being a hairdresser. In that case, you’re not necessarily meeting the WHO physical activity guidelines. Still, you’re not sedentary either. Similarly, if you sit most of your time during the day at a desk, in transport and in front of the TV, you would be sedentary, but if you also go running for half an hour per day you would also be active and meet the WHO guidelines.” – Read the full interview with Hidde van der Ploeg

For adults in the age group 18-64, WHO advises engaging in at least 150-300 minutes of moderate or 75-150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week to stay healthy, or equivalent combinations of moderate and vigorous activities. However, statistics suggest that more than one-third of Europeans do not meet these guidelines.

Lack of time is cited as the main reason for not being active by approximately 41% of Europeans, significantly more than the lack of motivation, which rose from 20% in 2017 to 25% in 2022. That said, it is also interesting to highlight that socioeconomic factors like income and education seem to also impact people’s willingness and ability to engage in physical activity.

For instance, individuals who left school around 15 years old or earlier (55% of them declared to never engage in physical activity) tend to be less active compared to those who studied (20% of them declared to never engage in physical activity) until the age of 20 or beyond. Meanwhile, those who rarely struggle with paying bills are 15% more likely to be active regularly than those who often have trouble paying them.

Dr. Alexis Lion, Chair-Elect of the European network for the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA Europe): “Families with higher incomes tend to have more physically active children than those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This may be due to greater differences in terms of access and cost. In other words, it may be that the socioeconomic environment is not very favourable, I would say, for people with a lower level of income to engage in physical activity.” – Read the full interview with Alexis Lion

The role of technology in promoting physical activity

Digital platforms and apps are constantly evolving in terms of functionalities, from steps counter to advanced movement tracking; there are endless possibilities to leverage technological innovation and gamification to make people more active. In 2016, the app Pokémon Go was released and became quickly popular among younger people. It is a free augmented reality mobile game that lets players use GPS to find, catch and train virtual Pokémon in real-world locations. Different studies showed that the app had a positive effect, at least for a short period, on people’s mobility levels.

For Dr. Alexis Lion, “We can use these kinds of applications to promote physical activity, but the evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited. It may work in the short term, but its long-term efficacy is uncertain. Additionally, while gaming can be fun, excessive gaming can be dangerous. So, there are negative side effects to consider.”

Professor Hidde van der Ploeg adds that exploiting these technologies “is usually only one component of a larger set of tools or strategies to improve physical activity. On its own, it is unlikely to lead to long-term behaviour change in most people; but it can be a helpful tool in a broader set of strategies. To have a significant impact on population physical activity levels, we need to implement strategies across different sectors.”

Finding creative ways to integrate technology with some forms of light physical activity can be also a solution for those working from home and spending many hours per day in front of the screen. Eurobarometer data suggests that 44% of Europeans sit for 2 to 5.5 hours on a regular day, while nearly 30% sit for 5.5 to 8.5 hours. “Another good way to incorporate more movement into your day is to stand or walk more during phone calls or meetings. These are examples of activities that companies often implement when they try to increase activity and reduce sedentary behaviour, especially in sedentary desk jobs,” suggests Professor Hidde van der Ploeg.

A possible way forward to a healthier lifestyle

There is no single solution to address physical inactivity as it is a complex public health issue influenced by many different factors.

“I am a big fan of the ‘Eight investments that work for physical activity,’ which cover different sectors such as schools, workplaces, sports facilities, transport, urban and environmental infrastructure, health, communities and mass media campaigns. Promotion of physical activity in these areas is essential to reduce levels of inactivity, as improving physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour can be a challenge in our environment, which is often conducive to inactivity and sedentary behaviour,” says Professor Hidde van der Ploeg.

Whenever working on such multisectoral focussed policies tackling physical inactivity, Dr. Alexis Lion adds that is necessary “to consider from early stages how to implement them effectively. The magic ingredient? Working together—scientists, policymakers, and community groups need to join forces to make a real difference in public health. And, of course, we’ve got to make sure everything we do is backed by solid evidence. That means testing our ideas with pilot studies before scaling up.”

Finally, as individuals, we can try to find enjoyable and innovative ways to incorporate physical activity into our daily lives. This way, we can stay healthy ánd have fun instead of seeing it as an imposition. As Professor Hidde van der Ploeg points out, “enjoyable activities are more likely to become long-term habits.”