Nearly half of British women have done ‘no exercise’ in past 12 months due to pandemic

Lack of motivation is most cited reason, a survey has found

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Almost half of British women (47 per cent) have said they have done no “vigorous” exercise in the past 12 months due to lack of motivation.

The figure comes from a survey of 8,000 adults in the UK taken in February this year by healthcare charity Nuffield Health.

The percentages were lower for men, with just over a third saying they had not exercised in that period and half citing a lack of motivation.

The data showed that 38 per cent of the women surveyed got out of the habit of exercising during the UK’s first lockdown.

One in 10 women said they struggled to maintain their exercise habits, while 14 per cent gave up exercising completely.

More than a third of respondents (37 per cent) said their physical health got worse in the year to February.

Over a quarter of men (28 per cent) said their physical health had declined in the past year while 34 per cent said they had not done any vigorous exercise.

Two thirds of women (67 per cent) cited lack of motivation as the main cause, compared with 51 per cent of men. A third (35 per cent) of women said they did not know where to start when it came to exercise compared to 28 per cent of men.

Over half (55 per cent) said lack of time due to work was a hindrance with exercise, compared to 46 per cent of men.

Judy Murray, mother of tennis champions Jamie and Andy Murray and ambassador for the Healthier Nation Index, said the data shows a “really big challenge” ahead in terms of “getting the nation active” especially women, who she said are “struggling to find the time to focus on their wellbeing”.

“I hope everyone can spare a few minutes to find something active they enjoy doing, as well as finding someone that they can do it with,” she added.

“Exercising with friends helps me find both motivation and routine as well as providing an extra boost for my mental health, so I encourage everyone to gather friends and get moving together.”

Additional reporting by PA