More people are staying active in Malaysia

HERE’S something Malaysians can be proud of: more of us are keeping ourselves physically active compared with previous years. Today, one in four (25.1%) adults in Malaysia is physically inactive, according to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019.

But previously, a higher number of people were inactive or led sedentary lifestyles.

In 2011, 35.7% of those aged 16 and above were physically inactive, and this dropped to 33.5% in 2015. Such a positive turn is heartening, especially since physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, according to the World Health Organisation in 2019.

“The increase in the number of Malaysians who are physically active is indeed encouraging,” says Malaysian Medical Association president Dr N. Ganabaskaran.

“We believe more Malaysians are beginning to see the benefits of physical activity and exercise in maintaining health and wellbeing.”

He adds that many Malaysians are also starting to see the value of adopting a healthy lifestyle in preventing diseases that can be costly to treat.

“We also see an increasing number of Malaysians concerned about quality of life in their golden years and taking steps to age healthily,” he notes.

According to the survey, among those who are least active physically are 28% of women and 59% of those aged 75 and above. Others are 39% of students and 27% of urban dwellers.

“Climbing stairs or taking short walks can increase our levels of physical activity,” read the findings in the Health and Morbidity Survey.

The recommended physical activity for adults aged 18 to 64 is to have at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity throughout the week, such as walking.

Another option is for Malaysians to clock in at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity in a week, which can include sports like running, swimming and cycling.

Alternatively, an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activity is also recommended, says the Health and Morbidity Survey.