Physical activity is defined as a total of 30 mins or more of exercise which was enough to raise breathing rate.
Activity levels
- Around one in two (49%) adults in Wales report doing 2-4 days of physical activity in the past week, which remains in line with Jan 25 (50%) and Apr 24 (49%).
- The proportion of adults in Wales doing physical activity on 5+ days a week (28%) also remains in line with Jan 25 (29%), but is higher than Apr 24 (24%).
- Adults in Wales reported a mean of 3.22 days of physical activity per week. This is higher than observed in Apr 24 (2.94).
- Respondents aged 55+ are significantly more likely than 35-54 and 16-34-year-olds to have done no physical activity in the past week (23% vs 15% and 6%).
- Respondents from lower socio-economic backgrounds (C2DE) are significantly more likely to say they do no physical activity than those from higher groups (ABC1) (21% vs 11%).
- Nine in ten (90%) adults in Wales who have children aged 15 or younger say that their children did some form of physical activity outside of school hours on a typical weekday.
- This is in line with both Jan 25 (92%) and Apr 24 (89%).
- Over nine in ten (94%) adults in Wales who have children aged 15 or younger say that their children did some form of physical activity outside of school hours on a typical weekend day.
- This is in line with Jan 25 (92%), however, is the highest figure observed since Oct 23.
Activity type and frequency
- The most common activities done by adults in Wales in the week preceding the survey period were walking for leisure (65%), walking for travel (26%), running or jogging (20%) and gym, fitness or exercise classes away from home (20%).
- In the last three months, just over three in five adults in Wales say they regularly walk for either leisure or travel (64%) (at least once per month).
- Just over one in four say they go to a gym, fitness or exercise class (27%) and over one in five go running or jogging (23%).
- One in ten (10%) say they have done no regular physical activity in the last three months. This is the same as in Jan 25 (10%) and remains the joint-lowest figure seen across all waves.
Opportunity & ability
- Around three in four (73%) adults in Wales agree that they have the ability to be physically active, in line with both Jan 25 (74%) and Apr 24 (71%).
- 16-34s and 35-54s are significantly more likely than 55+ to agree they have the ability to be physically active (85% and 78% vs 61%).
- Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a disability to agree they have the ability to be physically active (84% vs 54%).
- Respondents from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely to agree they have the ability to be physically active than those from lower groups (C2DE) (82% vs 63%).
- Just under three in four (72%) adults in Wales agree that they have the opportunity to be physically active, in line with Jan 25 (73%) and Apr 24 (73%).
- Respondents from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely to agree that they have the opportunity to be physically active than those from lower groups (C2DE) (78% vs 66%).
- Respondents with no disability are significantly more likely than those with a disability to agree they have the opportunity to be physically active (81% vs 58%).
- Those living children in the household are significantly likely than those without to agree that they have the opportunity to be physically active (78% vs 70%).
- Just over one in four (28%) adults in Wales agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments. This is lower than in Apr 24 (34%) but in line with Jan 25 (27%), which remains the lowest figure seen across all waves
- The decrease compared to Apr 24 is precipitated by a significant decrease in agreement levels among female respondents (28% vs 35% in Apr 24) and 16-34-year-olds (37% vs 51% in Apr 24).
- However, younger respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 remain significantly more likely than 55+ year olds to agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments (37% and 37% vs 15%).
- Respondents with children aged 15 or under are significantly more likely than those without to agree that they don’t have enough time to be physically active due to other commitments (37% vs 22%), as are respondents in higher socio-economic groups versus lower (ABC1 vs C2DE, 34% vs 22%), and those who have other care responsibilities in the household versus those who don’t (40% vs 28%).
- Over one in two (56%) adults in Wales agree that there are an adequate number of sport and physical activity facilities in their local area.
- Respondents from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely to agree that there are an adequate number of sport and physical activity facilities in their local area than those from lower groups (C2DE) (61% vs 49%).
- Those living in the Central South local authority are significantly more likely than those living elsewhere to agree there are an adequate number of sport and physical activity facilities in their local area (63%).
- Nearly one in two (46%) adults in Wales say the sport and physical activity facilities in their local area are of high quality. This is in line with Jan 25 (46%) and remains the highest figure seen since tracking began.
