Abstract

Only half of all Dutch people are sufficiently physically active. Therefore, the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport has created Nederland Beweegt, the Dutch Action Plan on Physical Activity, which runs from 2023 to 2025. The government aims for 75% of Dutch people to meet recommended physical activity levels by 2040.

The Action Plan covers all aspects of physical activity. It not only focuses on sport, but also on being active at work, at school, in the neighbourhood and during transportation - a so-called systems approach. The Action Plan encourages government, community organisations and municipalities to collaborate and encourage people to be more physically active in daily life.

RIVM monitored the progress and examined the outcomes of the Action Plan between 2023 and 2025. Several positive changes were observed in the first two and a half years. For example, a number of ministries beyond the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport have devoted more attention to physical activity. An increasing number of parties also joined the Beweegalliantie (Physical Activity Network Alliance): from 442 in 2024 to 585 in 2025. This resulted in new collaborations that help people be more physically active. Moreover, within municipalities, a growing number of domains are collaborating on the topic of physical activity.

However, more could have been achieved. For instance, there was little new policy from ministries to promote physical activity at school or in the workplace - places where people spend much of their time sitting. Furthermore, mainly more 'simple' actions resulted from the Action Plan, like sharing knowledge and collaborating, which have limited impact on the overall physical activity system.

To achieve the government's target, RIVM recommends that ongoing efforts using a systems approach are needed in the coming years. This will also require actions to change societal beliefs related to physical activity. For example, by creating robust policies, such as requiring municipalities to ensure that the environment encourages people to be more physically active, and by ensuring a steady flow of funds for continuing physical activity policy. In addition, policymakers can do more to link physical activity to other topics, such as mental health, climate and housing.

RIVM also recommends implementing policy on physical activity over multiple years, independent of changes in government and policy programmes. This is important, as it takes considerable time before increases in physical activity become noticeable.