RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel led a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off the Walk 30 public health initiative.
Al-Jalajel told Arab News that one of the aims of the program is to increase activity among the Kingdom’s population, with the goal of at least 150 minutes each week.
Walk 30 aims to address the health challenge of physical inactivity, which currently affects over 80 percent of people.
The campaign encourages a simple, but effective, goal: Walk 30 minutes per day, or 150 minutes per week, to achieve long-term behavioral change, and become healthier and more active.
“Walk 30, in its fifth season, is considered a pillar of the health and quality of life transformations,” Al-Jalajel said.
The push for healthier lifestyles is bearing fruit, with 58.5 percent of adults now engaging in at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week, above the 2024 target. Among children and adolescents, 18.7 percent meet the daily 60-minute activity recommendation.
These efforts have contributed to a rise in average life expectancy, which now stands at 78.8 years, edging closer to the Vision 2030 target of 80 years.
“I’m really glad to see Walk 30 today achieving a new record,” Al-Jalajel said.
He said that walking, even for 30 minutes a day, enhances one’s health and can lower the risk of chronic illnesses, including heartburn by 30 percent and strokes by 40 percent.
With the approach of summer and higher temperatures, the minister advised people to walk in the evenings, when it is cooler, and to stay hydrated and shaded.
He also highlighted the Healthy Mall program, which encourages people to take exercise in shopping malls.
The program began in 2019, and takes place in several locations across the Kingdom.
Malls have been transformed into places where members of the community can comfortably walk, featuring stations for bottled drinking water and restaurants serving healthy meals.
Al-Jalajel said: “We think that Walk 30 is something that can be replicated in different countries. Last season we had Dr. Tedros (Adhanom Ghebreyesus), director-general of WHO, participating with us, and they have a walking program, too.
“We have multiple initiatives for advancing Walk 30 in the wintertime, in the summertime, and we can participate with different countries on that,” he said.
