Global report finds adolescents are not getting adequate exercise

The first-ever report on physical activity among adolescents across the globe finds that 80% of school-aged children don’t get the recommended amount of exercise. Guidelines from the WHO and U.S. public health agencies recommend that adolescents get at least an hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. The WHO has set a goal of reducing physical inactivity among adolescents by 15% by 2030, and the new report found that there has been more progress among boys than girls toward that goal. Data from 1.6 million children ages 11-17 across 146 countries found that nearly 78% of boys and 85% of girls don’t get enough physical activity. Girls and boys in Asia Pacific countries were the least likely to get the recommended amount of exercise, while boys from high-income countries in the West and girls in South Asia were most likely to be active.