80+ Exercise and physical activity statistics 2021 [Research Review]

The pandemic has changed various aspects of our lives, even the way we exercise or participate in outdoor activities. Based on various studies and surveys conducted in 2020, we've highlighted some of the changes that have been observed in physical activity participation and exercising.

Global outdoor activity trends

In a survey that covered participants from 29 countries, it was discovered that 58% of the global respondents want to play more sports

• 81% of Peruvians would like to increase the time they play sports
• 62% of American respondents stated that they were happy with the amount of time they play sports 
• 19% of respondents from Malaysia said that they would like to reduce the time they play sports

Most active countries (based on hours)

The top 5 most active countries based on the average time they spend on sports per week are:

• The Netherlands - 12.8 hours
• Germany - 11.1 hours
• Romania - 11 hours
• Rusia - 9.2 hours
• Hungary - 8.8 hours

Most active countries (based on gender)

When gender is considered, men spend an average of 6.9 hours exercising per week

• • Men from the Netherlands log an average of 15.2 hours exercising per week followed by:
  • Romania - 11.5 hours
  • Hungary - 11.1 hours
  • Germany - 11 hours
  • Russia - 10.6 hours
• Meanwhile, women spent an average of 5.4 hours working out per week
  • Women from Germany are the most active at 11.3 hours per followed by:
    • Netherlands and Romania - 10.5 hours
    • Russia - 7.9 hours
    • India - 7.4 hours
    • Hungary - 6.6 hours

Most popular activities (based on location)

Global interest in different types of physical activities:

• Fitness  - 20%, is popular in:
  • Colombia - 32%
  • Saudi Arabia - 29%
  • Chile and Peru - 28%
  • Sweden and South Africa - 26%
  • Argentina - 25%
• Running - 19%, is popular in
  • China - 53%
  • Saudi Arabia - 34%
  • Turkey - 33%
  • Malaysia - 32%
  • Romania - 31%
• Cycling - 13%, is popular in:
  • India - 31%
  • Hungary - 30%
  • Turkey - 25%
  • Colombia - 22%
  • China - 21%
• Football - 10%, is popular in:
  • Peru - 23%
  • Saudi Arabia and South Africa - 22%
  • Mexico, Turkey, and Argentina - 17%
  • Romania - 15%
  • Colombia and Malaysia - 14%
• Swimming - 9%, is popular in:
  • Turkey - 26%
  • Saudi Arabia - 20%
  • Russia - 14%
  • India and Poland - 13%
  • China and Romania - 12%

2020 outdoor activity trends

According to the Outdoor Industry Association, in 2020:

• There were 160.7 million Americans, aged over 6 years old, that did at least one type of outdoor activity
• In 2020, 72% of those who participated in outdoor activities were White, meanwhile, the number decreased in:
  • Hispanics - 11%
  • Blacks - 9%
  • Asians - 6%
• Outdoor participation decreased from 24% to 20% in 2020
• Outings per person decreased from 82 in 2012 to 71 in 2020
• Of people participating in outdoor activities, only 46% were female
• 30% of the participants said they were more active outdoors that year
• 1/4 of the survey participants said that they would be giving up the outdoor activity they picked up in 2020
• The number of Americans who participated in:
  • Running, jogging, and trail running - 21% or 63.8 million
  • Hiking - 19% or 57.8 million
  • Freshwater, saltwater fly fishing - 18% or 54.7 million
  • Road biking, mountain biking, and BMXing - 17.3% or 52.7 million
  • Camping in the car, backyard, or RV - 15.8% or 47.9 million
• People with kids were 60% more likely to participate in outdoor activities than those that didn't have kids
• In the past 3 years, outdoor participation increased by:
  • 6% annually for people with an annual income of $25,000
  • 3% annually for households with an income of $100,000 

Interesting facts on exercising and physical activities

• According to the CDC, 53.3% of people aged 18 and over in the US meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for aerobic physical activity
• Only 23.2 of people aged 18 and over meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity
• Listening to music can help you perform 15% better when you exercise
• Running increases the pressure felt by your feet by 3 to 4 times
• For an exercise programme to stick, you need to do it consistently for 6 to 8 weeks
• For you to notice any physical changes, you need to exercise for at least 12 weeks
• Exercising increases oxygen intake by 1,787.1% from 126 gallons per hour at rest to 2377.8 gallons per hour when an average person exercises
• 3% of adults living in the US suffer from addiction to exercise
• Globally, 80% of the adolescent population do not get enough exercise or physical activity

Health benefits of exercise and physical activity

• Some of the health benefits of exercise and increase physical activity include lower risk of :
  • Developing type 2 diabetes - 58%
  • Having metabolic syndrome - 52.6%
  • Prehypertension progressing to hypertension by 30 to 40%
  • Developing hypertension by 16 to 34% in those who have parental hypertension history
• By the age of 65, you are likely to lose 80% of your muscle strength if you don't exercise regularly
• Taking a step activates 200 of the 600+ muscles of your body
• The heart of an average beats 100,000 times in a day
• 70% of physically active people report that they sleep better
• 89% of people who lost weight via diet and exercise are able to keep the weight off for a year or more
• only 10% of people who try to lose weight thru diet alone are successful
• Gradually increasing your exercise routine by 10% each week can help people keep the weight off

The recommended amount of physical activity in terms of hours

According to the World Health Organisation, people aged:

• 5 to 17 years old should get at least 60 minutes a day, at least 3 times a week, of physical activities, and the number goes up to:
• 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week for those aged 18 to 64 years old
• For those 65 and over, the tine is similar to young adults but they are advised to add physical activities that promote functional balance and strength training to prevent falls and enhance their functional capacity
• Pregnant women should get physical activity at least 150 minutes a week unless otherwise told by the doctor

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Use of content

• If you want to know more about the exercise and physical activity statistics, you can reach out to Nick Rizzo at nick@runrepeat.com. He'd be happy to answer your questions. He is also available to do interviews.
• Feel free to use data from this research review on any online publication. Our only request is for you to link back to this original source.

References