Only a quarter of adults who exercise say they find doing so fun, study shows
Less than three in 10 adults who exercise (28%) say they find doing so fun – with 27% claiming their main motivation is to change the way they look, a study has found.
A survey of 2,000 adults found that 63% workout for physical gain – with 54% saying that, if they had to pick one reason to exercise, they would do so for their body.
Meanwhile, three in 10 (31%) take part in physical activity for the mental benefits – and a quarter simply view it as “something they should do”.
However, many admit that they sometimes put it off due to a lack of time (36%) or energy (45%) – or just not wanting to get out and exercise (29%).
Meanwhile, a separate poll of 1,000 youngsters, aged six to 11, found that in contrast, 92% of this age group love to exercise. And for 77% of youngsters, having fun is cited as the main reason they keep active.
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But nine in 10 kids love to exercise - with over three-quarters doing so for the fun of it (ASICS)The research was commissioned by ASICS, which has launched the world’s youngest exercise influencer team, the “Little Reminders”, to encourage adults to exercise for how it makes them feel, rather than how it makes them look.
Gary Raucher, executive vice president from the sports company, said: “Children aged five to seven are at their peak activity levels, and their primary motivation to exercise is to feel good.
“Sadly, as we get older, the focus of exercise is all too often on physical gain and performance. So, instead of exercise being a way to release pressure and help people feel better, the exercise world often adds to the pressure. We want to change that.
“We hope that our newest recruits can help remind us of the real power of exercise, and encourage us to move for our minds, not just our bodies.”
The study, via OnePoll.com, also highlighted how exercise as a child is instinctive – with 55% of adults recalling they weren’t aware that they were exercising, as it was just how they played at that age.
And, when reflecting on their younger mindset, 82% of adults admitted they didn’t hate exercise during their childhood – with 43% even saying they “loved” moving.
Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos added: “As we grow older, societal influences such as social media and cultural norms emphasise the aesthetic outcomes of exercise – shaping our perception and relationship with not only exercise, but with our bodies and body image.
“Though it is well documented that exercise can support our mental health, there still remains the misconception that for it to be effective, activity needs to be difficult, intense, and sometimes painful.
“But in reality, you don’t need to do a full-body workout to reap the rewards. The idea of returning to the mindset of our younger selves is a great way to conceptualise exercise, unlocking the full mental benefits of movement.
“Embracing this mindset as adults could be the key to positively restructuring our relationship with exercise, and allow us to reignite our childhood love of moving for how it makes us feel.”
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