Savanta interviewed 1,049 respondents aged 16+ online between 21st April and 24th April 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 Welsh population by age, gender, region and socio-economic status.
Key Findings
- More Welsh adults are active this year, with just under half of Welsh adults doing some physical activity (2-4 days a week). This is consistent with Feb 23 but significantly higher than this time last year (May 22), and the number of people doing physical activity on 5+ days (24%) has also increased since Feb 23.
- The most common activity done by Welsh adults remains walking, whilst the proportion of respondents saying they have gone to the gym, fitness or exercise class regularly continues to increase from Feb 22.
- Just under three in five Welsh adults say they exercise to help manage their mental health, which remains significantly higher than this time last year (May 22). However, the proportion who say they do so to help manage their physical health has decreased since Feb 23.
- Welsh adults are more likely to feel that they have both the opportunity and ability to be active compared to this time last year (May 22), though improved access and confidence continue to be consistently stronger among male respondents than female.
- Similarly, confidence to attend indoor facilities continues to recover post-pandemic. People are more likely than this time last year (May 22) to say they are confident to visit gyms/health and fitness suites, swimming pools and studios.
- However, confidence to attend gyms/health and fitness suites and swimming pools has nonetheless decreased compared to Feb 23, and remains low overall. This trend is again driven largely by female respondents, as well as those who are older.
- Whilst the rising cost-of-living also continues to have a negative impact on the activity of two in five Welsh adults, there are signs that people may now be adjusting the activities they choose to do. For example, over a quarter of respondents now say the rising cost of living hasn't/won't have any impact on their sport and physical activity choices, an increase from Feb 23.
Activity levels
Physical activity is defined as a total of 30 mins or more of exercise which was enough to raise breathing rate.
- The majority of Welsh adults did physical activity on 2-4 days (49%), which is in line with Feb 23 (46%) but a significant increase from May 22 (41%).
- The proportion who did no exercise has dropped since May 22 (18% vs. vs. 24%).
- The number of people doing physical activity on 5+ days (24%) has increased since Feb 23 (19%).
- Respondents aged 55+ are more likely than 16-34s and 35-54s to have done no physical activity (24% vs. 9% vs. 16%).
- Male respondents are more likely than female respondents to have done 5+ days of physical activity (27% vs. 22%).
Activity type and frequency
- The most common activities done by respondents in the week preceding the survey period are walking for leisure (58%), walking for travel (26%) and running or jogging (17%).
- Just over three in five respondents say they have walked for either leisure of travel regularly (at least once per month) in the last three months (64%), whilst one in five say they have gone to the gym, fitness or exercise class (25%) and 18% have done a home activity, fitness or exercise class not viewed online or on TV, DVD or video.
- Over one in ten (13%) say they have done no regular physical activity in the last three months.
- The proportion of respondents saying they have gone to the gym, fitness or exercise class regularly continues to increase from Feb 22 (18% vs. 25%).
- Respondents aged 55+ are more likely than 16-34s and 35-54s to say they have done no regular exercise in the last three months (18% vs. 7% vs. 11%), as are female respondents (15% vs. 10%).
Reasons for taking part
- Just under three in five (58%) say they exercise to help manage their mental health, which remains significantly higher than May 22 (53%). More than half (55%) say they do so to help manage their physical health, a decrease from Feb 23 (59%).
- Male respondents are more likely to say they exercise to manage both their physical health (58% vs. 51%) and mental health (61% vs. 54%).
- Respondents aged 16-34 (61%) and 35-54 (65%) are more likely than 55+ (50%) to say they exercise to help manage their mental health.
- Of those who have done physical activity regularly in the last three months, three in five respondents (59%) rank being physically healthy as their top reason for taking part, whilst one in five (17%) rank feeling good as their top reason.
- Respondents aged 55+ are more likely than 16-34s and 35-54s to rank being physically healthy as their top reason (67% vs. 51% vs. 57%), whilst 16-34s and 35-54s are more likely than 55+ to rank feeling good as their top reason (20% vs. 20% vs. 11%).
- Three in five (60%) respondents agree that they have the confidence to be physically active, which remains significantly higher than May 22 (55%).
Opportunity & ability
- Seven in ten (72%) respondents agree that they have the ability to be physically active, which remains significantly higher than May 22 (64%).
- 16-34s and 35-54s are more likely than 55+ to agree they have the ability to be physically active (81% vs. 76% vs. 64%).
- Seven in ten (71%) respondents agree that they have the opportunity to be physically active, which continues to increase from 65% in May 22.
- Male respondents are more likely than female respondents to agree that they have the opportunity to be physically active (75% vs. 68%).
Attitudes to activity
Enjoyability, importance and confidence
- Three in five (60%) of respondents agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying, a significant increase since Aug 22 (55%).
- Male respondents are more likely than females to agree (65% vs. 55%) that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying.
- Two thirds (68%) of respondents agree that it is important to them to exercise regularly, a significant increase from Aug 22 (64%).
- Male respondents are more likely than female to agree (74% vs. 63%) that it is important to them to exercise regularly.
- Three in five (60%) respondents agree that they have the confidence to be physically active, which remains significantly higher than May 22 (55%).
- Male respondents are more likely than females to agree (67% vs. 53%) that they have the confidence to be physically active.
Location confidence
- Confidence in indoor locations has seen a decrease since Feb 23, significantly so in gyms/health and fitness suites (40% vs. 45%) and swimming pools (50% vs. 55%).
- Respondents aged 16-34 are more likely to say they are confident than 35-54s and 55+ in gyms/health and fitness suites (55% vs. 46% vs. 25%) and swimming pools (60% vs. 52% vs. 41%).
- Female respondents are more likely than male respondents to say they do not feel confident in gyms/health and fitness suites (40% vs. 34%).
- Confidence levels in indoor facilities do however remain significantly higher than May 22, including in gyms/health and fitness suites (40% vs. 35%), swimming pools (50% vs. 42%) and studios (30% vs. 25%).
- 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 (90%) and indoor swimming pools (88%), whilst three quarters are confident in indoor grass/artificial pitches (77%) and indoor courts (74%).
Topic questions
Volunteering
- Just under half of respondents (49%) have not volunteered in sport and physical activity in the last 12 months, compare to one in ten (10%) who are currently volunteering.
- Current volunteers are more likely to be male (14% vs. 7%), 16-34 (18% vs. 9% vs. 5%) and have children (15% vs. 8%)
- Almost half of respondents say they won’t be volunteering in the next 12 months (48%), whilst just under a third say they are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity (31%).
- Male respondents (38% vs. 24%) and 16-34s (48% vs. 34% vs. 17%) are more likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity, as are those with children (40% vs. 26%).
Cost-of-living
- Just under two in five respondents (38%) agree that the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their ability to be active.
- 16-34s and 35-54s are more likely than 55+ (47% vs. 46% vs. 26%) 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. 32%).
- Almost half (48%) of respondents say the changes in the cost-of-living have not impacted their participation in sport and physical activity, whilst a third (31%) say they’ve been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living.
- Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are more likely than 55+ (46% vs. 36% vs. 16%) to say they’ve been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living, as are those with children (43% vs. 24%).
- Over a quarter (28%) of respondents say the rising cost of living hasn't/won't have any impact on their sport and physical activity choices, an increase since Feb 23 (20%).
- However, one in five (20%) say they have/will switch to cheaper/free activities, whilst the same proportion (18%) say they have/will take part in fewer paid activities.
- Respondents aged 55+ are more likely than 16-34s and 35-54s to say the rising cost of living hasn't/won't have any impact on their sport and physical activity choices (37% vs. 14% vs. 29%), as are male respondents (32% vs. 25%) and those without children (33% vs. 20%).
Secondary school activity
- Two thirds of respondents (66%) say they enjoyed taking part in sport at school at least a little, with a third (34%) saying they did so a lot.
- Male respondents (44% vs. 24%) are more likely to say they enjoyed taking part in sport at school a great deal.
