The Global Wellness Institute™ (GWI), Miami, Florida, has released its Wellness Policy Toolkit: Physical Activity. The toolkit takes a deep dive into what is driving rising levels of physical inactivity worldwide and the many ways that new policies, government resources and public-private partnerships can tackle the crisis.

The commercial wellness market cannot bring wellness to all or solve the skyrocketing health crises, the report notes. Public policy is crucial to fill the gaps. For instance, GWI research finds that an estimated 27.5% of the world’s adult population is now physically inactive, based on World Health Organization standards.

Physical inactivity is now the fourth leading cause of death, and the pandemic has increased  sedentary behavior. The WHO estimates that physical inactivity will cause 500 million new cases of preventable diseases, and $300 billion in treatment costs, from 2020-2030, if things do not change.

The toolkit identifies six areas of action that would drive far more physical activity participation and access. For each item, the researchers lay out the problem that needs solving and provides many specific policy actions that can be deployed, all interspersed with examples of successful policy implementation already underway globally. These include:

1. Encourage physical activity via the built environment.
2. Make recreational physical activity accessible.
3. Improve access to physical activity for underserved populations.
4. Integrate physical activity into the health system.
5. Encourage youth to build lifelong habits for physical activity.
6. Encourage adults to be physically active during the workday

While the areas of action are not new, the examples might serve as catalysts for individuals, organizations and governments.

To download the free report, click here