Topic Questions

Volunteering

• One in six (16%) respondents are currently volunteering in sport and physical activity, which remains steady from Oct 24 (17%).
  • Current volunteers are significantly more likely to be male than female (22% vs 12%), aged 16-34 compared to 35-54 and 55+ (29% vs 15% and 9%), from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1 vs C2DE) (21% vs 12%), from an ethnic minority group compared to white (38% vs 14%) and to have children aged 15 or under in the household (25% vs 12%).
• Around one in three (37%) respondents say they are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity in the next 12 months, the highest level observed across all waves.
  • 16-34s are significantly more likely than 35-54s and 55+ (57% vs 39% vs 21%) to say they are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity, as are those from higher socio-economic backgrounds compared to lower (42% vs 32%) and respondents with children 15 or under in the household compared to those without (51% vs 29%).

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, which remains in line with Oct 24 (40%).
  • Female respondents are significantly more likely than male to agree that the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their ability to be active (43% vs 36%), as are those aged 16-34 and 35-54 than 55+ (45% vs 46% vs 31%) and those with children aged 15 or under in the household compared to those without (50% vs 34%).
• Although almost half (47%) of respondents say changes in the cost-of-living have not impacted their participation in sport and physical activity, three in ten (30%) say they have been doing less sport and physical activity as a result.
  • 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 areas (57% vs 56% and 46%). 
  • Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than those aged 55+ to say they’ve been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living (36% and 36% vs 21%), as are those with children aged 15 or under in the household compared to those without (41% vs 24%).

Sports club membership

• Just over one in six (15%) adults in Wales are currently a member of a sports club.
  • Male respondents are significantly more likely than female respondents to currently be a member of a sports club (21% vs 9%), as are those aged 16-34 and 35-54 compared to 55+ (23% vs 15% vs 9%) and those from an ethnic minority background compared to white respondents (35% vs 13%).

Fitness goals 

• Respondents are most likely to say they set New Year sport and physical activity goals related to losing or managing weight (37%), increasing daily steps or walking distance (29%) and increasing overall physical activity levels (28%).
  • Female respondents are significantly more likely than male to set goals around managing weight (45% vs 29%) and increasing steps (36% vs 23%), while male respondents are significantly more likely to focus on building muscle strength and endurance (26% vs 18%) and improving cardiovascular fitness (25% vs 18%).
  • Ethnic minority respondents are significantly more likely than white respondents to want to increase their overall physical activity levels (42% vs 27%), as well as set a fitness goal of any form (83% vs 74%).
  • Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than 55+ to set any fitness goal (88% vs 77% and 63%), as are respondents in higher socio-economic groups versus lower (ABC1 vs C2DE, 82% vs 67%).
• Just under three in ten respondents (59%) agree that setting personal fitness goals is important for motivating them to be active.
  • Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than 55+ to agree that setting personal fitness goals is important for motivating them to be active (71% and 65% and 47%), as are respondents in higher socio-economic groups versus lower (ABC1 vs C2DE, 67% vs 52%), ethnic minority respondents compared to white respondents (71% vs 58%) and those with children compared to those without (76% vs 51%).

Fitness technology 

• Just over three in five respondents (63%) currently use fitness technology, with wearable fitness devices (45%) and fitness apps (25%) the most popular forms. More than three quarters (77%) of respondents who use fitness technology do so several times a week. The same proportion (77%) say using fitness technology has increased their motivation to be active.
  • Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than 55+ to use fitness technology (77% and 71% and 46%), as are respondents in higher socio-economic groups versus lower (ABC1 vs C2DE, 71% vs 54%), ethnic minority respondents compared to white respondents (75% vs 61%) and those with children compared to those without (79% vs 54%).

Safety concerns

• Just under half of respondents (48%) say they felt safe taking part in sport and physical activity during darker hours over the last three months, while just under one in five (18%) say they felt unsafe.
  • Female respondents are significantly more likely than male to say they felt unsafe (28% vs 8%), as are those aged 16-34 compared to 55+ (24% vs 15%).
  • Respondents in higher socio-economic groups are significantly more likely than those in lower groups to say they felt safe (ABC1 vs C2DE, 53% vs 43%), as are those with no disabilities compared to those with disabilities (54% vs 37%).
• Almost three in five respondents (57%) say these safety concerns had no impact on their physical activity levels, whilst one in six (15%) say they had a negative impact.
  • Female respondents are significantly more likely than male to say safety concerns had a negative impact (22% vs 8%), as are those aged 16-34 compared to 35-54 and 55+ (21% vs 14% and 12%) and those with disabilities compared to those without (23% vs 11%).

Severe weather conditions

• Two in five respondents (41%) say severe weather conditions have caused them to do less sport and physical activity in the past three months. A third say such weather conditions had no impact on their activity levels (34%), whilst less than one in ten (6%) say they did more sport and physical activity as a result.
• Those who say they did less sport and physical activity are most likely to say this is because they were less motivated due to the weather conditions (49%), walked/cycled less to get to places (31%), or find sport and physical activity less enjoyable during such weather conditions (24%).
  • Female respondents are significantly more likely than male to say they did less because they find sport and physical activity less enjoyable during such weather conditions (29% vs 17%), while older respondents aged 55+ are significantly more likely than 18-34s to say they were less motivated due to the weather conditions (57% vs 39%).
• Those who managed to do the same amount of sport and physical activity are most likely to say this is because they always find a way due to its importance to them (27%), the activity can go ahead regardless (25%), or they adapted their exercise routine to match the weather conditions (20%).
  • Male respondents are significantly more likely than female to say they always find a way due to sport and physical activity’s importance to them (33% vs 21%, while female respondents are significantly more likely to say the activity can go ahead regardless (31% vs 19%).
  • Respondents in higher socio-economic groups are significantly more likely than those in lower groups to say they adapted their exercise routine to match the weather conditions (ABC1 vs C2DE, 25% vs 14%).
• Those who say they did more sport and physical activity are most likely to say this is because their sport/physical activity is better suited or only available during extreme weather conditions (37%), or that they switched to an alternative activity and did more than usual (33%).