exercise trends exercise trends worldwide there has been a large shift towards less physically demanding work and a more sedentary lifestyle. this has been accompanied by increasing use of mechanized transportation, automobile dependency, a greater prevalence of labor saving technology in the home, and less active recreational pursuits. at least 31% of the world's population does not get sufficient physical exercise. this is true in almost all developed and developing countries, and among children. some experts refer to sitting as "the new smoking" because of its negative effects on overall health. increases in sedentary behaviors such as overuse of electronics may lead to a decrease of physical activitythese exercise trends are contributing to the rising rates of chronic long-lasting diseases such as: obesity, heart disease, stroke, preventable causes of death, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. active transport (walking, bicycling, etc.) has been found to be inversely related to obesity in europe, north america, and australia. thus exercise has been associated with a decrease in mortality. causes of lack of exercise