Savanta interviewed 1,063 respondents aged 16+ online between 27th July - 31st July 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
- Just under half of adults in Wales are doing some physical activity (2-4 days a week), which is consistent with Feb 23 and remains significantly higher than May 22. The proportion of people doing physical activity on 5+ days (25%) has also remained significantly higher than Feb 23, but lower than the same time two years ago (Aug 21).
- The most common activity done by adults in Wales remains walking, whilst the proportion of respondents saying they have gone to the gym, fitness or exercise class regularly is significantly higher than the same time two years ago (Aug 21).
- This demonstrates the continued post-pandemic recovery in people’s confidence to be active at indoor locations. For example, confidence levels at swimming pools and gyms/health and fitness suites remain significantly higher than Feb 22, and have recovered slightly after a dip in April 23.
- Adults in Wales are also more likely to feel that they have both the opportunity and ability to be active compared to this time last year (Aug 22).
- However, those in the 30% most deprived are more likely than those in the 30% least deprived to agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments.
- Similarly, respondents in the 30% least deprived are more likely than those in the 30% most deprived to agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying, that it is important to them to exercise regularly, and that they have the confidence to be physically active. This suggests significant barriers to both participation and enjoyment for those in more deprived areas.
- The impact of the rising cost-of-living is also more strongly felt by those in more deprived areas. Those in the 30% most deprived are more likely than those in mid-deprivation to agree that the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their ability to be active, and that they’ve been doing less sport and physical activity as a result.
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 (47%), which is in line with Feb 23 (46%) and April 23 (49%) and remains significantly higher than May 22 (41%).
- The proportion who did no exercise remains significantly lower than Feb 23 (18% vs. 22%), and in line with Aug 22 (20%) and Aug 21 (16%).
- The number of people doing physical activity on 5+ days (25%) remains significantly higher than Feb 23 (19%), but is significantly lower than Aug 21 (29%).
- Respondents aged 55+ are more likely than 16-34s and 35-54s to have done no physical activity (24% vs. 12% vs. 15%).
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 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%), whilst just under one in four say they have gone to the gym, fitness or exercise class (23%) and one in five have been running or jogging (18%) and swimming (18%).
- Over one in ten (12%) 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 remains significantly higher than Aug 21 (13% vs. 23%).
- Respondents in the 30% least deprived are more likely than those in mid-deprivation to say they have gone to the gym, fitness or exercise class regularly in the last three months (25% vs. 16%).
Reasons for taking part
- Just under three in five (58%) agree that they exercise to help manage their mental health, which remains significantly higher than Feb 22 (53%). More than half (56%) say they do so to help manage their physical health.
- Respondents aged 16-34 (64%) and 35-54 (63%) are more likely than 55+ (49%) 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 (19%) rank feeling good as their top reason.
Opportunity & ability
- Just under three in four (73%) respondents agree that they have the ability to be physically active, which is significantly higher than Aug 22 (64%) and Aug 21 (69%).
- 16-34s and 35-54s are more likely than 55+ to agree they have the ability to be physically active (83% vs. 79% vs. 62%).
- Just under three in four (73%) respondents agree that they have the opportunity to be physically active, which continues to increase from (65%) in Feb 22. This is also significantly higher than Aug 22 (65%).
- 16-34s and 35-54s are more likely than 55+ to agree they have the opportunity to be physically active (77% vs. 77% vs. 66%).
- 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 more likely than 55+ to agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments (50% vs. 40% vs. 18%).
- Respondents in the 30% most deprived are more likely than those in the 30% least deprived to agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments (36% vs. 26%).
Attitudes to activity
Enjoyability, importance and confidence
- Just under three in five (58%) respondents agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying.
- Respondents in the 30% least deprived are more likely than those in mid-deprivation and the 30% most deprived to agree that they find exercise enjoyable and satisfying (67% vs. 54% and 53%).
- Two thirds (68%) of respondents agree that it is important to them to exercise regularly, which remains significantly higher than Aug 22 (64%).
- Male respondents are more likely than female to agree (71% vs. 65%) that it is important to them to exercise regularly.
- Respondents in the 30% least deprived are more likely than those in the 30% most deprived to agree that it is important to them to exercise regularly (74% vs. 65%).
- Three in five (58%) respondents agree that they have the confidence to be physically active.
- Male respondents are more likely than female to agree (67% vs. 50%) that they have the confidence to be physically active.
- Respondents in the 30% least deprived are more likely than those in the 30% most deprived to agree that they have the confidence to be physically active (63% vs. 53%).
Location confidence
- Confidence in indoor locations has recovered slightly after a dip in April 23, and remains significantly higher than Feb 22, including at swimming pools (52% vs. 43%), and gyms/health and fitness suites (41% vs. 35%).
- Respondents aged 16-34 are more likely to say they are confident than 35-54s and 55+ in gyms/health and fitness suites (58% vs. 49% vs. 24%) and swimming pools (61% and 56% vs. 42%).
- 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 (89%) and indoor swimming pools (88%), whilst four in five are confident in indoor grass/artificial pitches (81%) and three quarters in indoor courts (76%).
Topic questions
Volunteering
- Just over two in five respondents (44%) have not volunteered in sport and physical activity in the last 12 months, which has decreased significantly from April 23 (49%). Just over one in ten (12%) are currently volunteering.
- Current volunteers are more likely to be male (15% vs. 9%), 16-34 (22% vs. 12% vs. 5%) and have children (16% vs. 9%)
- Almost half of respondents say it is likely 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 (36% vs. 25%) and 16-34s (48% vs. 32% vs. 18%) are more likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity, as are those with children (39% vs. 25%).
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 more likely than 55+ (47% vs. 48% vs. 28%) 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 (52% vs. 34%) and female respondents (44% vs. 36%).
- Respondents in the 30% most deprived are more likely than those in mid-deprivation to agree that the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their ability to be active (42% vs. 33%).
- 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 (32%) 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+ (42% vs. 38% vs. 21%) to say they’ve been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living, as are those with children (47% vs. 24%) and female respondents (35% vs. 29%).
- Respondents in the 30% most deprived are more likely than those in mid-deprivation to say they’ve been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living (35% vs. 26%).
- Over a quarter (27%) of respondents say the rising cost of living hasn't had any impact on their sport and physical activity choice.
- 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. 19% vs. 22%), as are male respondents (30% vs. 24%) and those without children (31% vs. 19%).
Secondary school activity
- Two thirds of respondents (65%) say they enjoyed taking part in sport at school at least a little, with a third (33%) saying they did so a lot.
- Male respondents (41% vs. 25%) are more likely to say they enjoyed taking part in sport at school a great deal.
