Could this be the way to get the world exercising?

In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) set an ambitious goal: reduce the global physical inactivity rate by 10 per cent compared with 2010 levels by 2025. Well, the deadline has finally arrived – and, despite numerous public health campaigns and efforts to capitalise on the sporting excitement of multiple Olympic Games, people are moving less than ever.

The latest data, from 2022, indicates that 31 per cent of adults worldwide aren’t meeting physical activity guidelines, a 5-percentage-point increase from 26 per cent in 2010. Among teens, the numbers are worse: a staggering 81 per cent aren’t moving enough. We’re not just missing targets – we’re slipping further behind on them.

So, what went wrong? From public health policy to urban design issues, there are numerous, complex ways to critique current strategies. However, some experts are taking a step back to ask a more fundamental question: have we been promoting physical activity all wrong this whole time?

For years, public health campaigns have relied heavily on the “exercise is medicine” narrative to promote physical activity. We have all heard it time and again: get active if you want to prevent illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is a message based on strong scientific evidence, and you would think that the promise of good health is the best possible motivator.

However, Benjamin Rigby, a public health researcher at Newcastle University in the UK, and his colleagues argue in a recent opinion article that framing movement solely as a way to prevent disease oversimplifies why people choose to be active. “The truth is, people move for so many more reasons that have nothing to do with avoiding illness,” says Rigby. “We want to play, to laugh, to explore, to dance, [and] feel proud of ourselves. Ultimately, to have fun and feel good.” Excluding these other, positive motivations from public health messaging could be why people aren’t connecting with it.

A growing number of studies support this idea of shifting the spotlight away from health-focused narratives. When researchers from the University of Edinburgh in the UK analysed 123 studies on physical activity messaging, they concluded that health reasons aren’t necessarily what motivate people to get off the couch. The most effective messages highlight the short-term rewards of being active – like feeling good, reducing stress or having fun with friends – not the threat of illness decades down the line.

What might messaging that focuses on the immediate benefits of physical activity look like in a campaign? Some researchers suggest phrases like “a little movement for a little mood improvement” to highlight mental well-being, or “physical activity is an opportunity to connect with others” to capture social-based motivations.

Robust evidence also shows that people are more likely to stay active when it’s fun. Enjoyment is linked to young people consistently participating in sports. And remember Pokémon GO? That craze had its most engaged users walking an extra 1473 steps a day on average, just because they were excited to “catch ’em all”. Given the evidence, why haven’t public health messages aligned more closely with motivations centred on enjoyment?

Sticking to health-based narratives has a strong appeal to institutions. Their effects are more measurable, and they fall neatly within the serious tone we expect from official messages. But with the next 2030 target of reducing physical inactivity by 15 per cent from 2010 levels looming, this is the moment for radical change. It’s time to stop prescribing physical activity as a bitter pill and start selling it as an opportunity for fun, exploration and connection.

Dawn Teh is a freelance health writer based in Australia