Germans found unwell or ill according to DKV report
A new report by DKV, the largest provider of private health insurance in Germany, highlights significant health challenges in the country, including poor nutrition, insufficient muscle activity, and excessive sitting. The 8th edition of the report, titled "How healthy does Germany live?", reveals that only 2% of Germans meet all the corresponding benchmarks for a healthy lifestyle.
Ingo Froboese, a specialist from the German Sport University Cologne, is concerned about the 98% of the population who do not live a healthy lifestyle. He cites diseases like Type 2 diabetes, mental illnesses, and back pain as examples. To address this, several measures are being proposed and emphasized.
Promoting muscle strengthening exercises alongside endurance training is key. While 68% of Germans meet general physical activity guidelines, only 34% meet muscle activity recommendations (at least twice weekly). Specialists argue that muscle training should no longer be optional but seen as a preventive duty to counter chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental illness and support healthy aging.
Encouraging more daily physical activity such as walking, cycling, and reducing sedentary behavior is another crucial intervention. Germans sit about ten hours a day, which is a health risk. Increasing everyday movement and breaking up sitting time are essential to counter the trend of excessive sitting.
Improving subjective well-being through physical activity is also highlighted in the report. Those physically active in their leisure time report higher well-being, which helps tackle mental health challenges reported by many Germans, especially women and middle-aged groups.
Innovative fitness solutions at home like smart rowing machines are gaining attention to motivate exercise, addressing the issue of prolonged sitting by making workouts more accessible and engaging.
City spaces for physical activity should not always be pushed to the outskirts. Creating a movement-friendly environment accessible to everyone is essential to encourage physical activity.
To compensate for prolonged sitting, at least 60 minutes of "moderate-intensity" exercise is needed daily, preferably in free time or during commute. Examples of moderate-intensity exercise include slow jogging, brisk walking, or cycling.
However, only 30% of high sitters manage to compensate for prolonged sitting with sufficient physical activity. Prevention courses alone are not enough, according to Froboese. He suggests supporting and rewarding physical activity to motivate the population to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
The report is based on interviews with 2,800 people, half conducted by phone and half online. The average daily sitting time in 2023 was 598 minutes, and in 2025, it was 613 minutes, excluding weekends. This represents almost two hours more than a decade ago.
The report underscores the urgency of addressing Germany's health challenges. A combination of endurance and muscle training is necessary, according to Ingo Froboese, as one cannot replace the other. Long sitting periods are considered "cellularly a real disaster" by Froboese, as they lack activating muscular work.
These measures reflect a multi-faceted approach focusing on increasing the quantity and quality of physical activity, strengthening muscles, reducing sitting time, and promoting mental well-being to counter unhealthy lifestyle trends shown in the DKV report.
- Ingo Froboese, a specialist, urges that muscle training should be seen as a preventive duty, as it can help counter chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental illness, supporting healthy aging.
- Encouraging more daily physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior is essential to counter the trend of excessive sitting, which is a health risk, according to the report.
- Improving subjective well-being through physical activity is crucial in tackling mental health challenges, especially for women and middle-aged groups, as those physically active in their leisure time report higher well-being.
