Physical Inactivity and COVID-19: When Pandemics Collide

Abstract

The 3 new Lancet series papers on physical activity1–3 build on the evidence presented in 2 previous series that underlined the pandemic magnitude of physical inactivity, its health, social, environmental and economic global consequences, and the urgency to take immediate multisectoral actions to make active living an affordable and accessible choice for all population groups. These messages were based on unquestionable evidence of the beneficial effects of physical activity on virtually every system of the body, supporting it as a “best buy in public health.” Increasing physical activity could save 5.3 million lives per year,4 and it is critical for the prevention and control of multiple noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that account for 74% of deaths globally. However, an estimated 1 in 3 adults and 3 in 4 adolescents worldwide did not meet the physical activity guidelines before the pandemic. Now in 2021, the failure to take seriously evidence-based recommendations to increase physical activity has contributed to the estimated 4.2 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide. It is clear that the inactivity pandemic is foundational in the global explosion of NCDs that have collided so tragically with the COVID-19 pandemic.