Buckingham Palace with crowds on the Mall

As we hunker down, with most of us spending the majority of our time at home, it’s important to focus on our individual health and wellbeing.

Guidance on exercising once a day is being repeated frequently.  Might the current crisis spur the nation into taking more action about its health?

Fully half of us acknowledge that “I should do a lot more about my health”.  This proportion has hardly shifted since 2002.  TGI data held within AMSR shows 12% definitely agreeing with the statement at that time, with 39% tending to agree.  These percentages were exactly the same in 2019, with only small fluctuations in the meantime.

Bar chart showing attitudes to health

There are however variations by age group, and these have increased over the period.  15-34 year-olds were the most conscious of the need to be more active in 2002 when 56% agreed, and that’s even more the case now: 60% agree that they aren’t doing enough.  Over 55s seem more at ease: 39% agree that they should do more, although that still feels rather too many, especially as only 23% of them disagree.

Perhaps the regular encouragement to take daily exercise in these unusual times will hit home, and help to breed a long-term habit of taking care of our health more effectively.  There is clearly room for improvement.

Sources:

TGI (Target Group Index) is a continuous survey which has been carried out in Great Britain since 1969, based on 25,000 adults per annum, who provide information on their use of all major products, brands and services.  Attitudinal, demographic and media exposure data are also included.  Kantar, who own and operate the TGI, are making major donations of data to AMSR.  Click here to explore the TGI archive within AMSR.

Date posted: 30th March 2020

 

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