Participation in regular physical activity is recognised as promoting good health, preventing disease and enhanced wellbeing for individuals and for whole communities. Yet, worldwide, approximately two thirds (69%) of the world adult population are physically inactive. Economic, technological and societal trends over the past few decades are leading to environments and social changes in norms, values and behaviours which do not support physically active lifestyles. Of concern, less than one third of countries have a national policy on physical activity. Given the evidence on the need to act and the solutions required, addressing this knowledge-action gap requires advocacy efforts at both the global and national level. Achieving a comprehensive approach to national action on physical inactivity requires the confluence of strong leadership for the issue, political commitment, engagement and support from multiple sectors outside of health, and allocation of adequate fiscal and human resources. These conditions are difficult to obtain and because of this, there is a need for strong, coordinated and sustained advocacy at a global scale and national level. Recent global advocacy efforts have focussed on mobilising existing knowledge to raise the priority and call for a scaling up of global action. A framework for action (the Toronto Charter for Physical Activity: A global call for Action) and seven specific domain specific actions have been identified to guide countries (Investments that Work: Seven actions for physical activity). These advocacy tools have been widely translated and adopted for use in national planning. Nonetheless, much more is needed and advocacy efforts should be increased in all countries if global targets are to be reached by 2025.