Trapped in the lack of exercise. The benefits of physical activity for Poles – assessment of its impact on health, the economy, and the labour market.

22 października 2025

The “Benefits of physical activity of Poles – assessment of its impact on health, the economy and the labour market” report prepared by the Institute for Structural Research on behalf of Benefit Systems shows that if one in two physically inactive residents of Poland started exercising, every year the number of deaths could drop by 13.7%, and savings due to sickness absence would reach PLN 1.9 billion.

According to the latest research on the level of physical activity of Poles commissioned by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, only 23% of people over 15 years of age meet the WHO recommendations regarding the minimum dose of physical activity in their free time (excluding walks). Piotr Borys, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, emphasises that after including people who regularly ride a bike in the analysis, this percentage increases to only 29%. The deputy minister adds that in practice this means that nearly 7 out of 10 adult Poles do not exercise enough to achieve the health benefits of physical activity. – Our task, as government, local government, teachers, employers, as well as parents and simply conscious citizens, is to create conditions and a culture in which exercise becomes a natural choice for everyone. Investing in physical activity is an investment in the health of the nation and the future of us all.

Systemic benefits in healthcare

Physical activity for the youngest fit for the 21st century

The analysis of scenarios regarding changes in the level of physical activity shows that if every second inactive resident of Poland undertook an average amount of exercise, this change would have a significant impact on public health. According to the simulation developed for the report on the costs of lack of movement, in the demographic part there would be a clear reduction in the number of deaths per year by 13.7%, from 407,300 to 351,400. At the same time, life expectancy would increase to 79.9 years, or by 13 months. The number of hospital days would also decrease by 1.7 million to 31 million.

– Given the growing needs and costs of healthcare in Poland, increasing the physical activity of citizens is becoming a desirable goal and a rational solution. Any decrease in the incidence of illness or shortening of hospital stays, even by a small amount, will directly translate into both demographic benefits and real financial savings within the healthcare system – emphasises Marek Trepko, Management Board Member at Benefit Systems.

The analysis shows that increasing physical activity can bring real health benefits in many areas. In oncology, the number of cases would decrease by 4,400 per year. In cardiovascular diseases, the effects would also be significant. The number of cases would decrease by 973,000. In the case of strokes, a decrease would result in 7,200 fewer events, and in the case of hypertension – in as many as 1.2 million cases. In the case of metabolic diseases, the incidence would decrease by 304,800. Body mass indexes would also improve by a total of 577,200, both among obese and overweight people. The incidence of depression would also decrease by 407,700, and the number of days of absence related to this disease would decrease by 586,300.

Improvement in the labour market

Data from the “Benefits of physical activity of Poles – assessment of its impact on health, the economy and the labour market” report indicates that increased physical activity among half of the previously inactive people could significantly improve the situation on the labour market. The number of working people would increase by 127,000, and the number of people receiving sickness benefits would decrease by 560,000. The total number of sick leave days would decrease by 14.6 million, which in financial terms would translate into savings of PLN 1.9 billion.

– Promoting physical activity is a profitable social investment, which, however, requires coordinated actions by the government, local governments, employers and the education system. Poland faces a serious challenge related to the reverse demographic dividend. For over 10 years we have been observing a systematic decline in the number of people of working age and an increase in the number of people of post-working age. These unfavourable demographic trends will intensify in the coming years and generate challenges both for employers and in many areas of the state’s functioning. Therefore, systemic solutions are necessary – says Kacper Olejniczak, Director of the Healthcare Department and Life Science Sector, Confederation Lewiatan.

Following Sweden’s example

Over the last three decades life expectancy in Poland has increased from 70.7 to 78.4 years. This is the result of improved economic conditions, advances in medicine, the development of the healthcare system and improved working conditions. Despite this, it remains three years shorter than the average in EU countries. One factor that can help reduce this difference is an increase in physical activity, for example, following the example of Sweden, which has been successfully implementing the innovative “Physical Activity on Prescription” (PAP) programme for over 20 years.

Under PAP, doctors prescribe personalised physical activity plans for patients, including those with metabolic diseases and depression, rather than giving just general recommendations. The long-term effects of this systemic approach are confirmed by a study of patients with metabolic syndrome, which showed that after five years in the PAP programme their average physical activity time increased by three hours per week. Importantly, significant improvements were observed in 9 of 11 monitored health indicators (including body weight, blood pressure and glucose levels).

– The Swedish model proves that organised and systematic support for physical activity is a successful and cost-effective intervention that directly translates into better public health and reduced pressure on the healthcare system. This may be a good model for Poland in the context of reducing the costs of lack of movement – emphasises Marek Trepko from Benefit Systems. At the same time, he notes: – Employers in Poland are already doing a lot to improve physical activity, but support through appropriate public policies and multi-level cooperation is necessary.

Pobierz raport "Korzyści z aktywności fizycznej Polek i Polaków"

Jolanta Jędrysek

Head of Communications Benefit Systems

519 312 964

Benefit Systems has been operating on the Polish market for over two decades and is one of the leaders in providing non-financial benefits that support employee wellbeing. The company is the creator of the MultiSport Programme, which enables physical activity in sports facilities throughout the country. Its portfolio also includes the MyBenefit cafeteria platform and the MultiLife wellbeing programme. For several years now, the company’s sports offer has been developed on foreign markets, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Turkey. The Benefit Systems Group also operates fitness clubs (in Poland it is responsible for Fabryka Formy, FitFabric, Fitness Academy, Good Luck, My Fitness Place, Saturn Fitness, StepONE, Total Fitness and Zdrofit networks). An important area of Benefit Systems activities is the promotion of an active lifestyle at every stage of life, which is why the company implements initiatives supporting physical activity of children, adults, and seniors, also as part of the MultiSport Foundation. Since 2018, Benefit Systems has been part of the global B Corp initiative, bringing together companies operating and engaging in solving the most important social problems. More information can be found at benefitsystems.pl/en.