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Sport is bringing some much needed joy to the world. The Olympics and Paralympics, the Copa América, the European Football Championship, and Wimbledon are bringing excitement to millions after postponement or cancellation in 2020 (safety concerns notwithstanding). Although watching elite sport might be more stimulating than addressing modern day sedentarism, a third Lancet Series published this week, following on from publications in 2012 and 2016, shows the importance of regular physical activity and sport to health and wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic and the response to it have further amplified the value of being physically active in ways that could benefit individuals and society more broadly.

Since 2001, there has been no improvement in global levels of physical activity. More than a quarter (1·4 billion) of the world's adult population were physically inactive in 2016, putting them at risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and premature mortality. This Series re-emphasises the urgent need to increase population levels of physical activity, with adolescents and people living with disabilities among the least likely populations to receive the support needed to meet WHO's physical activity guidelines.