What is it about?

Most teenagers need to get moving for an hour most days, but most aren’t and progress has stalled. The gap is biggest for girls and activity tends to decrease with age among young people. To be active, we have to make it safe, affordable, fun and part of everyday life.

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Why is it important?

This study represents the first major global update of adolescent physical activity since 2020, using more recent data through 2025. It reveals that no country is on track to achieve the global target of a 15% reduction in adolescent inactivity by 2030. The study provides policymakers with a clearer, more up-to-date picture of a growing public-health problem by measuring not just if young people are active, but how many days each week they are active. The findings are important because adolescence is a key period for establishing healthy habits that last a lifetime, and inactivity increases future risks for physical and mental health problems.

Perspectives

As a country collaborator, this study also resonates as I think physical activity should be fun and part of our daily lives. I have observed how environment, weather, school routines and age influence opportunities to move – walking in Singapore and Sheffield, my daughter cycling at 10 and now enjoying performing arts at 16. The main message of the study is that adolescents need realistic and enjoyable ways of being active, in their own context. I am particularly interested in co-designing solutions with young people so that policies, schools and communities reflect their experiences, preferences and barriers.

Lubna Razak
Brunei Ministry of Health

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: National, regional, and global trends in adolescent physical activity from 2010 to 2025: a pooled analysis of 389 surveys with 3·2 million participants from 140 countries, The Lancet Global Health, November 2026, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.langlo.2026.104099.
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Contributors

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