Savanta interviewed 1,027 respondents aged 16+ online between 27th October - 31st October 2023. 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 (48%) of adults in Wales are doing physical activity on 2-4 days a week, which is consistent with Apr and Aug 23. The proportion of people doing physical activity on 5+ days (24%) has also remained higher than Feb 23 (19%).
- The most common activity done by adults in Wales remains walking for leisure (62%), whilst the proportion of respondents saying they have been jogging is higher than Apr 23 (20% vs. 17%).
- Whilst the proportion of adults in Wales doing no exercise (0 days) remains lower than Feb 23 (18% vs. 22%), groups including female respondents (23%), older respondents (23%) and respondents with a disability (23%) are more likely to say they are inactive.
- This is likely caused by structural issues around opportunity to be active, as well as attitudes towards activity such as enjoyability, satisfaction and confidence. Female respondents, older respondents and respondents with a disability are more likely to score lower on all of these measures.
- The same proportion of respondents as Aug 23 say the cost-of-living continues to have a negative impact on people’s ability to be active (40%), and a third (33%) say they have been doing less sport and physical activity as a result.
- Under 55s and those with children are more likely to say they have been negatively impacted by changes in the cost of living, and that they will do more cheaper/free activities, fewer paid activities, and reduce their activity levels as a result. This suggests these groups need support to ensure their activity levels do not drop, and that they have access to the activities they want to do.
- Just over one in ten are (14%) currently volunteering, with current volunteers more likely to be male and those with children.
- In turn, over a third (36%) say they are likely to volunteer in the next 12 months to support sport and physical activity (including those who currently volunteer), the highest proportion since the survey began. This suggests an opportunity to more than double the number of people currently volunteering in sport and physical activity.
Activity levels
Physical activity is defined as a total of 30 mins or more of exercise which was enough to raise breathing rate.
Activity levels
- The majority of adults in Wales did physical activity on 2-4 days (48%), which is in line with Apr 23 (49%) and Aug 23 (47%) and remains significantly higher than Feb 22 (41%).
- The proportion of people doing physical activity on 5+ days (24%) remains higher than Feb 23 (19%).
- The proportion who did no exercise remains lower than Feb 23 (18% vs. 22%), and in line with Apr 23 (18%) and Aug 23 (18%).
- Female respondents are significantly more likely than male to have done no physical activity (23% vs. 13%).
- Respondents aged 35-54 and 55+ are significantly more likely than 16-34s to have done no physical activity (19% and 23% vs. 9%).
- Respondents with a disability are significantly more likely than those without to have done no physical activity (23% vs. 15%).
Activity type and frequency
- The most common activities done by respondents in the week preceding the survey period are walking for leisure (62%), walking for travel (26%), running or jogging (16%) and gym, fitness or exercise class away from home (16%).
- 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 (62%), one in four say they have gone to the gym, fitness or exercise class (24%), and one in five have been swimming (21%) and running or jogging (20%).
- One in ten (11%) say they have done no regular physical activity in the last three months.
- The proportion of respondents saying they have been jogging is higher than Apr 23 (20% vs. 17%).
Reasons for taking part
- Three in five (60%) respondents agree that they exercise to help manage their mental health, and almost three in five (57%) say they do so to help manage their physical health.
- Of those who have done physical activity regularly in the last three months, three in five respondents (58%) rank being physically healthy as their top reason for taking part, whilst one in five (18%) rank feeling good as their top reason.
Opportunity & ability
- Just under three in four (72%) respondents agree that they have the ability to be physically active.
- Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a disability to agree they have the ability to be physically active (85% vs. 48%).
- Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a disability to agree they have the opportunity to be physically active (80% vs. 59%).
- Female respondents are more likely than male to agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments (35% vs. 29%).
- 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 (47% vs. 39% vs. 16%).
- Those with children are significantly more likely than those without to agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments (46% vs. 24%).
- Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a disability to agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying (66% vs. 44%).
- Over three in five (62%) respondents agree that they have the confidence to be physically active.
- Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a disability to agree that they have the confidence to be physically active (72% vs. 44%).
- Just under three in four (73%) respondents agree that they have the opportunity to be physically active.
- One third (32%) of respondents agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments.
Attitudes to activity
Enjoyability, importance and confidence
- Just under three in five (58%) respondents agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying.
- Two thirds (68%) of respondents agree that it is important to them to exercise regularly.
Location confidence
- Confidence in indoor locations has plateaued as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic fade, with 52% confident at swimming pools and 42% confident at gyms/health and fitness suites.
- 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 gyms or fitness centres (92%), indoor swimming pools (89%) and indoor courts (87%), whilst over four in five are confident in indoor grass/artificial pitches (84%).
Topic questions
Volunteering
- Almost half of respondents (45%) have not volunteered in sport and physical activity in the last 12 months, with just over one in ten (14%) currently volunteering.
- Current volunteers are more likely to be male (16% vs. 11%), 16-34 (22% vs. 14% vs. 9%) and have children (18% vs. 11%)
- Although half of respondents say it is likely they won’t be volunteering in the next 12 months (48%), over a third say they are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity (36%). This is the highest proportion since the survey began, and higher than Apr 23 and Aug 23 (31%).
- Male respondents (40% vs. 31%) and 16-34s (57% vs. 38% vs. 19%) are significantly more likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity, as are those with children (47% vs. 29%).
Cost-of-living
- Two in five respondents (40%) agree 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+ (49% vs. 48% vs. 27%) are more likely to agree that the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their ability to be active, as are those with children (50% vs. 34%).
- Although half (49%) of respondents say the changes in the cost-of-living have not impacted their participation in sport and physical activity, a third (33%) say they have been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living.
- Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than 55+ (41% and 40% vs. 22%) to say they’ve been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living, as are those with children (44% vs. 27%) and female respondents (37% vs. 29%).
- A quarter (25%) of respondents say the rising cost of living hasn't/won’t have any impact on their sport and physical activity choice.
- However, 22% say they have/will switch to cheaper/free activities, 20% say they have/will take part in fewer paid activities, and 16% say their activity levels have/will reduce.
- 16-34s and 35-54s are significantly more likely than 55+ to agree they will do both cheaper/free (32% and 27% vs. 12%) and fewer paid (26% and 26% vs. 12%) activities, as well as reduce activity levels (22% and 20% vs. 10%).
- Those with children are significantly more likely than those without to agree they will do both cheaper/free (31% vs. 17%) and fewer paid (29% vs. 15%) activities, as well as reduce activity levels (23% vs. 14%).
