LONDON — More than a quarter of adults believe they lead a sedentary lifestyle – with the average person sitting down for up to 40 hours a week, according to a recent survey. The poll of 2,000 British people finds 27% admit they aren’t as active as they should be, despite easily being able to.
What’s behind this lifestyle? Lack of motivation (29%), tiredness (28%) and not having enough time (26%) were cited as the top reasons for the sedentary behavior. Being inactive for so long leaves 32% of adults feeling bored, another 32% feel unhealthy, and, ironically, 29% say they’re more tired.
The study also finds that 83 percent of adults sit for up to 12 hours a day.
The research, commissioned by Babybel cheese snacks and conducted by OnePoll, shows that two-thirds of adults would like to be more physically active than they currently are, but 35% claim it’s harder to do this as they get older. When it came to length of a workout routine, 61% agree they’d be more likely to do it — if it lasted a shorter amount of time. Similarly, 65% would be more inclined to do something active if it was fun.
Not surprisingly, seven in 10 say they moved more as a child compared to now, with 42% of parents agreeing that their kids help them to keep moving.
Wednesday is when Brits are most active, with the average adult trying to get their blood pumping five times a week. Cleaning the house (32%), gardening (29%) and walking up and down the stairs (22%) were deemed the top “everyday activities” which gets them moving the most. Interestingly, 35% claim they are more active when they are at work.
As for the top inspirational triggers for getting the heart racing, 36% say they want better health, while 25% are simply trying to meet a personal goal. But overall, 37% deem themselves to be their biggest inspiration for getting fit.
“It’s great to see that children are one of the factors keeping their parents active. It’s also interesting that majority want exercise to be in short, fun bursts instead of long workouts,” says a Babybel spokesperson in a statement. “We want to encourage families to make small tweaks to their routines during the back-to-school period to get the whole family moving.”
In an effort to get more folks moving, the company offers these 10 tips as part of its “active living” challenge in the UK:
1. Squats while brushing your teeth
2. Star jumps while the kettle is on
3. Clean your home with some music on
4. Take the stairs instead of the escalator
5. Superman stretch as you get out of bed
6. Get off one stop earlier and walk the last mile
7. Ditch the electric mixer and stir by hand
8. Jumping jacks at the end of every TV show
9. Dance with family and friends as you cook dinner
10. Play a game of tag while the microwave is on
Report by 72Point writer Lucy Brimble
This info is just wow