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22 million Brits (45%) admit to neglecting their fitness
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Over one third of people (35%) are more worried about neglecting their health than anything else
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One in 10 said the one thing they want more time for in their lives is exercise and a healthy lifestyle
Devoting time to health and fitness is once again bottom of many Brits priorities, according to new research from the second annual Scottish Widows Priorities of Life index. For the second year in a row 22 million Brits (45%) are struggling to devote enough time to maintaining their fitness.
According to the survey, over one third of people (35%) are worried about neglecting their health, and nearly half (45%) confess that they don't put as much emphasis on keeping fit as they feel they should. One in ten (10%) believe the one thing they would like more time for in their lives is exercise and healthy living.
Of those who don't spend enough time keeping healthy, 39% admit this is because they are simply not worried enough about their health at the moment, 24% will always put their family's health needs over their own, and 23% will only start to pay attention towards their body if they get seriously ill.
When it comes to keeping fit, this is often on the back burner because they simply don't have enough time to exercise regularly (37%), it can't be a priority at the moment (31%), or they simply don't enjoy it (30%). Nearly a fifth (21%) said money was too tight to afford a gym membership.
Roger Black MBE, Scottish Widows Ambassador for the London 2012 Games, and Olympic medal winner, said: "The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were always hoped to inspire us as a nation to get involved with sport, and we have won half the battle because people do recognise the need to devote more time to their health and fitness, but they still don't feel able to prioritise it highly enough. Just a few hours exercise a week could make a big difference to people's health, and it needn't cost a lot of money.
"And it's not only the adults that are suffering - as a nation we are passing our bad habits down to our children. 10 million parents are worried their kids aren't taking enough exercise, and 2.1 million parents say their children are not taking part in any type of exercise at all3. It is essential families understand the physical, mental and social wellbeing benefits that come with being active."
Sarah Storey, OBE, Scottish Widows Ambassador for the London 2012 Games, and Paralympic Medal Winner, said: "I struggle just like everyone else to strike the right balance between training and the other aspects of my life, especially now that we are just one year off from the 2012 Games, but by planning well in advance and making sure I dedicate enough time to my priorities, I can relax and focus on the things that matter."
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