Who Stays Active? A Surprising Global Snapshot

Ever wonder who in the world is getting the most exercise? Is it young people? People in wealthy countries?

“On average, people in their sixties report more days of physical activity than many younger age groups.”

Researchers decided to find out by asking over 200,000 people across 22 different countries a simple question: "How many days did you exercise for at least 30 minutes last week?" This massive investigation, part of the Global Flourishing Study, aimed to create a global map of physical activity and see how it connects to our lives—our age, gender, job, education, and even how often we attend religious services. The results were full of surprises and challenged common assumptions. While you might think 20-somethings are the most active, the study found that, on average, people in their 60s reported more days of physical activity than many younger age groups, before activity levels declined again after age 70.

Globally, some patterns were consistent: men tended to be more active than women, and people with more education exercised more often. Being self-employed or in a domestic partnership was also linked to higher activity levels. One of the most fascinating findings was the connection between community and exercise. People who attended religious services frequently were also more likely to be physically active, suggesting that social or spiritual engagement might go hand-in-hand with physical health. The differences between countries were staggering.

People in the Philippines reported being active almost four days a week on average, the highest in the study. In contrast, people in Egypt reported being active less than one day a week, the lowest. This highlights how much our environment and culture can shape our daily habits. This research gives us a clearer picture of who is moving and who is being left behind, showing that our health is about more than just personal choice.