Individuals with insufficient physical activity face a higher risk of noncommunicable diseases compared to those who engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adolescents have 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity activity daily, while adults have 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week to benefit from the reduced risk of noncommunicable diseases and to improve their health and well-being.
This data visualization provides estimates of the levels and trends in insufficient physical activity among school-going adolescents aged 11–17 from 2001 to 2016, and among adults (18+ years) by sex in countries across the Americas from 2000 to 2022.