Wales Activity Tracker Survey 12 - April 2024

Savanta interviewed 1,094 respondents aged 16+ online between 26th - 30th April 2024. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. All participants were from Wales and data has been weighted to be representative of the population in Wales by age, gender, region and socio-economic status. 

Executive summary

• Just under half (49%) of adults in Wales are doing physical activity on 2-4 days a week. This is in line with Jan 24 (47%) and April 23 (49%). The proportion of people doing physical activity on 5+ days a week (24%) also remains stable relative to April 23 (24%). The number of respondents living in the most deprived areas who do no exercise decreased significantly compared to Jan 24 (14% vs 22%).
• The most common activity done by adults in Wales remains walking for leisure (62%), albeit with this activity being a larger proportion compared to April 23 (58%). The proportion of respondents saying they have done home-based activities (17%) returned to the levels of participation seen in Oct 23 (17%), after a slight increase here in Jan 24 (21%), during storms Isha and Jocelyn.
• The proportion who do no exercise (16%) is lower than Jan 24 (19%) and Apr 23 (18%). It is the lowest figure seen since Aug 21 (16%). This decrease was aided by the number of respondents living in the most deprived areas who do no exercise decreasing significantly compared to Jan 24 (14% vs 22%). Groups including older respondents (55+, 22%) and respondents with a disability (22%) continue to be more likely to say they are inactive.
• Of those who have participated in sport or physical activity in the last three months, just under three quarters (74%) said they were motivated by being physically healthy. Just over two in five (42%) respondents said they were motivated to take part in sport or physical activity to manage their weight, a newly tested motivation within Wave 12.
• The proportion of adults in Wales saying they exercise to manage their mental health (55%) has increased slightly compared to Jan 24 (54%), albeit remaining lower relative to April 23 (58%). The proportion of respondents saying they exercise to manage their physical health (56%) has also increased relative to Jan 24 (53%) and represents a slight increase relative to April 23 (55%).
• The cost-of-living continues to negatively impact two in five (39%) adults’ ability to be active, with just under a third (30%) saying they have been doing less sport and physical activity as a result – representing a slight decrease from Jan 24 (33%). Respondents living in the least deprived and mid-deprivation areas are significantly more likely to say the changes in the cost of living have not impacted their participation in sport and physical activity, compared to those from the most deprived area (56% vs 55% vs 46%).
• One in seven (14%) are currently volunteering, with almost half (47%) of this group saying their volunteering in sport involves a coaching role. Just over a quarter (26%) of those who have stopped or paused their volunteering in the past 12 months were previously in a coaching role. Of those who are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity in the next 12 months, 2 in 5 (40%) intend to undertake a coaching role.

Activity

Physical activity is defined as a total of 30 mins or more of exercise which was enough to raise breathing rate.

Activity levels

• Just under half (49%) of adults in Wales are doing physical activity on 2-4 days a week. This is in line with Jan 24 (47%) and Apr 23 (49%).
• The proportion of people doing physical activity on 5+ days a week (24%) remains in line with Jan 24 (24%) and April 23 (24%).
• The proportion who do no exercise (16%) is lower than Jan 24 (19%) and Apr 23 (18%). It is the lowest figure observed since Aug 21 (16%).
  • Male respondents are significantly more likely than female respondents to have done physical activity on 5+ days (27% vs 20%).
  • Respondents aged 35-54 and 55+ are significantly more likely than 16-34s to have done no physical activity (17% and 22% vs 8%).
  • The number of respondents living in the most deprived areas who do no exercise decreased significantly compared to Jan 24 (14% vs 22%).
  • Respondents with a disability are significantly more likely than those without to have done no physical activity (22% vs 14%).
• Nearly nine in ten (89%) respondents who have children under 16 years old said that their children were on average physically active outside of school hours on a typical weekday.
  • This represented a small bounce after observing a significant decrease between Oct 23 (92%) and Jan 24 (84%), realigning the figure with Apr 23 (88%).

Activity type and frequency

• The most common activities done by respondents in the week preceding the survey period were walking for leisure (62%), walking for travel (29%), running or jogging (16%) and fitness or exercise class away from home (16%).
  • The proportion of people walking for leisure (62%) is higher than in Apr 24 (58%).
  • The proportion of respondents saying they have done home-based activities (17%) returned to the levels of participation seen in Oct 23 (17%), after a slight increase here in Jan 24 (21%), during storms Isha and Jocelyn.
• Just over three in five respondents say they have walked for either leisure or travel regularly (at least once per month) in the last three months (66%), just under one in four say they have gone to the gym, fitness or exercise class (23%), and just under one in five have been running or jogging (19%) and swimming (18%).
• One in ten (10%) say they have done no regular physical activity in the last three months. This is the lowest figure seen so far across the waves, including compared to Apr 23 (13%).

Opportunity & ability 

• Just under three in four (71%) respondents agree that they have the ability to be physically active.
  • 16-34s and 35-54s are significantly more likely than 55+ to agree they have the ability to be physically active (82% vs 76% vs 59%).
  • Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a longstanding condition or illness to agree they have the ability to be physically active (83% vs 48%).
  • Respondents living in the least deprived and mid-deprivation areas are slightly more likely to agree they have the ability to be physically active, compared to those from the most deprived area (72%% vs 70% vs 66%).
• Just under three in four (73%) respondents agree that they have the opportunity to be physically active.
  • Respondents from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely to agree that they have the opportunity to be physically active than those from lower groups (C2DE) (78% vs 67%).
  • Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with to agree they have the opportunity to be physically active (82% vs 56%).
• One third (34%) of respondents agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments.
  • 16-34s and 35-54s are significantly more likely than 55+ to agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments (51% vs 40% vs 17%).
  • Those with children aged 15 or under are significantly more likely than those without to agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments (48% vs 26%).

Attitudes to activity 

Enjoyability, importance and confidence

• Over half of respondents agree that they exercise to help manage their physical health (56%) or to help manage their mental health (55%).
  • Those aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than those aged 55+ to agree that they exercise to help manage their mental health (61% vs 60% vs 48%).
• Of those that have participated in sport or physical activity in the last three months, just over a quarter (74%) said they were motivated by being physically healthy.
  • Just over two in five (42%) respondents said they were motivated to take part in sport or physical activity to manage their weight, a newly tested motivation within Wave 12.
• Over half (54%) of respondents agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying.
  • This is lower than in Jan 24 (57%) and April 23 (60%), a decrease aided by the number of women saying they find exercise enjoyable (48%) decreasing compared to Jan 24 (53%) and Apr 23 (55%).
  • Male respondents are significantly more likely than female respondents to agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying (60% vs 48%).
  • 16-34s and 35-54s are significantly more likely than 55+ to agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying (64% vs 60% vs 43%).
  • Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a disability to agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying (60% vs 43%).
• Approximately two thirds (67%) of respondents agree that it is important to them to exercise regularly.
  • Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a disability to agree that it is important to them to exercise regularly (72% vs 59%).
• Just under three in five (58%) respondents agree that they have the confidence to be physically active.
  • Male respondents are significantly more likely than female respondents to agree that they have the confidence to be physically active (66% vs 50%).
  • 16-34s and 35-54s are significantly more likely than 55+ to agree that they have the confidence to be physically active (62% vs 61% vs 53%).
  • Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a disability to agree that they have the confidence to be physically active (67% vs 41%).
• A quarter (23%) of respondents agree that they worry about leaving their home to take part in physical activity.
  • Female respondents are significantly more likely than male to agree that they worry about leaving their home to take part in physical activity (27% vs 20%).
  • Respondents aged 16-34 (34%) are significantly more likely to agree that they worry about leaving their home to take part in physical activity than those aged 35-54 (23%) and 55+ (16%).
  • Respondents with a disability are significantly more likely than those without to agree that they worry about leaving their home to take part in physical activity (32% vs 18%).
  • Those living in the least deprived areas are significantly less likely to worry about leaving their home to take place in physical activity than those from mid-deprivation and the most deprived area (15% vs 25% vs 24%).

Location confidence 

• Confidence in indoor locations continues to remain steady as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic stabilise, with 40% of respondents confident at gyms/health and fitness suites (vs 42% in Jan 24) and 30% confident in sports halls (same as in Jan 24).
  • There are no notable changes in the levels of confidence respondents feel towards any of the tested settings.
• Of those who have done some form of physical activity in the past week, just over 1 in 5 (21%) say they used an indoor gym or fitness centre.
  • Of those who have done some form of physical activity in the past week, respondents from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely than those from lower groups (C2DE) to have used indoor gyms or fitness centres (26% vs 14%), swimming pools (20% vs 14%) and indoor courts (9% vs 4%).
• Of those who have participated in a sport or activity in an indoor facility in the past week, around nine in ten say they were comfortable at indoor swimming pools (92%) , indoor gyms or fitness centres (90%), and indoor grass/artificial pitches (87%), whilst four in five are confident in indoor courts (80%).

Topic questions 

Volunteering

• Almost half of respondents (47%) have not volunteered in sport and physical activity in the last 12 months, with just under one in seven (14%) currently volunteering.
  • Current volunteers are significantly more likely to be male (18% vs 10%), aged 16-34 (23% vs. 16% vs 5%), from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) (18% vs 9%), and to have children (21% vs 9%)
• Although half of respondents say it is likely they won’t be volunteering in the next 12 months (50%), just under a third say they are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity (30%).
  • 16-34s (49% vs 33% vs 14%) are significantly more likely to say they are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity, as are those with children (42% vs 23%).
• Just under half (47%) of those who volunteer in sport do so through a coaching role.
  • Of respondents who are currently volunteering in sport, those from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely to volunteer within a coaching role (55% vs 32%).
• Just over a quarter (26%) of those who have stopped or paused their volunteering in the past 12 months were previously in a coaching role.
• Of those who are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity in the next 12 months, 2 in 5 (40%) intend to undertake a coaching role.

Cost-of-living

• Two in five respondents (39%) say that the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their ability to be active.
  • 16-34s and 35-54s are significantly more likely than 55+ (40% vs 47% vs 32%) to agree that the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their ability to be active, as are those with children (45% vs 36%).
• Although almost half (49%) of respondents say the changes in the cost-of-living have not impacted their participation in sport and physical activity, just under a third (30%) say they have been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living.
  • Respondents living in the least deprived and mid-deprived areas are significantly more likely to say the changes in the cost of living have not impacted their participation in sport and physical activity compared to those from the most deprived area (56% vs 55% vs 46%).
  • Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than 55+ (38% and 38% vs. 19%) to say they’ve been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living, as are those with children (40% vs. 25%).
• Almost three in ten (27%) respondents say the rising cost of living hasn’t had any impact on their sport and physical activity choice.
• However, around one in five say they have switched to cheaper/free activities (21%), take part in fewer paid activities (19%), say their activity levels have reduced (18%) and spend less on sports clothing/equipment (17%).
  • Respondents aged 55+ are significantly more likely than those aged 16-34 and 35-54 to say that the rising cost of living hasn't had any impact on their sport and physical activity choice (37% vs. 23% and 19%), while 16-34s and 35-54s are more likely than 55+ to say the rising cost of living has had impact on each of the statements tested (61% vs. 59% and 34%).
  • Those with children are significantly more likely than those without to say the rising cost of living has had impact on each of the statements tested (61% vs. 43%).