Coronary heart disease is responsible for a considerable amount of the morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases in industrialized countries. Many countries have therefore adopted prevention policies designed to reduce the prevalence of three of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease--high serum cholesterol, smoking, and high blood pressure. Physical inactivity is, however, also an important risk factor for developing coronary heart disease. This article presents a position statement by WHO and the International Society and Federation of Cardiology on physical inactivity and coronary heart disease.