Key Facts - Physical Activity

Physical Activity
Key Facts

International

Global physical activity

According to the World Health Organization Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health (www.who.int) at least 60% of the global population fails to achieve the minimum recommendation of 30 minutes moderate intensity physical activity daily.

A survey of physical activity levels in 19 countries found that New Zealand was the most active nation with 62% of the adult population active, followed by the United States and Australia.

National

Note: For information on the surveys mentioned below, refer to measurement of physical activity.

Results from the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey found that:

Half of all adults (50.5%) met the definition of being regularly physically active.
Overall, one in seven (15.0%) adults were sedentary, reporting less than 30 minutes of physical activity in the previous week.

For more information, see A Portrait of Health: Key results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey.

SPARC has released its 2007/2008 Active New Zealand Survey (www.sparc.org.nz), which is a national survey that measures participation in sport and recreation and the physical activity levels of New Zealand adults aged 16 and over.