Physical activity as a tool for health promotion: the evolution of international strategies and interventions

Physical activity (PA) has a great potential impact in the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. However, epidemiologic data reporting a high percentage of inactive people, still indicate a scarce perception of PA benefits. Therefore, in the past decades, a number of documents has been produced by international organizations with the aim of changing policies and institutional actions towards the promotion of PA. Several actions have been put in place and an evolution process in international strategies for PA promotion is ongoing. Nevertheless, there is a need to continue updating these policies in light of new knowledge about evidence-based PA health effects. A stimulating discussion about effective PA promotion programs is useful for future planning of interventions. The aim of this work is to report the evolution of international strategies aimed to PA promotion, from early PA recommendations, to the recent WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030.