A quarter of the people in Flanders exercise less than 150 minutes a week, the minimum recommended for good health. The figure comes from the Flemish Care and Health Agency.
In an ideal world healthy adults should spend between 150 and 300 minutes doing moderate exercise or doing between 75 and 150 minutes of intensive exercise. Sports count but also physical exercise as part of your job, household tasks or leisure.
Three-quarters of the people in Flanders do meet the target. A quarter don’t and this poses a risk to their health. Physical inactivity is one of the biggest causes of chronic disease and early death.
The Prevention Barometer commissioned by the Care Agency and carried out by science health institute Sciensano shows women, the low-skilled, people on low income and the overweight are more likely not to meet the minimum target. People aged between 34 and 54 as well as the over 75s are also more likely not to get enough exercise.
People do want to exercise more though. Over 6 out of 10 indicated they had tried to exercise more recently and 7 out of 10 say they intend to do so. Good intentions do not always lead to results. Half those polled suggested they wouldn’t put their good intentions into practice. Most point to “a lack of time”.
Recently it’s also emerged that “excessive sitting” also poses a threat to public health. This may happen at work, but also while watching TV or being in the car or on public transport.
The figures show that on average people spend 6.1 hours a day sitting and that’s up from 5.6 hours a day, when a national survey was conducted. Men spend more hours seated as do those aged 18 to 34, high-skilled workers, students and people without money worries.
Few Flemings are aware of the guidance with regard to sitting. People should get up and move at least every half hour. Only a third of Flemings has tried to sit less over the past year.
The Barometer shows that a more active society with more exercise and less sitting is to be desired: general health and well-being improves, health costs fall and it’s better for the environment too.
The Flemish government now intends to use the findings to introduce measures to encourage more people to adopt an active lifestyle including a project on well-being at work in which exercise will be an important component.