Great Britain's Department for Culture Media and Sport issued the warning after noting obesity is on the rise there.
Sport minister Tracey Crouch said one in four Britons fail to exercise even 30 minutes a week.
"Physical inactivity is a hidden killer" she told The Daily Mail.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 2-and-a-half hours of moderate exercise each week.
The British report cites the necessity for older people to get regular exercise.
"Regular exercise can not only keep older hearts healthy but strengthen joints, lift mood and help in the fight against more chronic long term conditions such as strokes and cancer" it said, according to The Daily Mail.
Physical activity can prevent or treat physical and mental illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, strokes, dementia, depression and type two diabetes, according to the study.
The study noted that a lack of exercise kills as many people as smoking.
More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the CDC.
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