Exercise is one of the most valuable tools we have to support our health and wellbeing, with the benefits of regular movement ranging from better sleep and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease to more energy and improved mental health. But according to new research from health insurance provider Vitality, most women across the UK aren’t moving nearly enough to reap those benefits.

Based on a survey of 6,000 women, the Active Women, Healthy Lives report reveals that just 23% of women engage in 30 minutes of exercise or achieve 7,000 steps a day five or more times a week – both of which are recommended as the minimum amounts required to have a positive impact on health.  

The report, published in partnership with The Well HQ and Women In Sport, found a clear discrepancy between how women perceive their health and what they’re doing to support it. Indeed, while 60% of women said they felt mostly healthy overall, with a similar number saying they were physically active, the specifics tell a different story, with over 70% struggling to do the recommended minimum.

This ‘optimism bias’, as the report describes it, presents a real issue for women of all ages. The problem isn’t that women don’t want to exercise – while a quarter of women surveyed exercised less than once a week, 74% of people in this group expressed a desire to be more active. So, what is stopping us from doing the physical activity we need to do to support our health? The report highlights several key issues and barriers that could be to blame.  

Despite all the benefits regular exercise can offer, the report highlighted that weight loss remains the number one motivator for women across all age groups: 44% of women aged 20–39 cited losing weight as their primary reason for exercising, followed by 46% of women aged 40–59 and 31% of women aged 60–79.

While everyone is entitled to have their own motivations, the report suggests that the focus that many women place on weight loss may be making it harder for them to tap into other forms of motivation.

It highlights, for example, that weight loss is often an extrinsic motivator – instead of trying to lose weight to improve overall health, a lot of women are driven by the societal expectations and pressure surrounding how their bodies look. It’s for this reason, the report suggests, that so many women aren’t getting enough exercise; the idea of exercising to lose weight might be appealing, but the negativity surrounding this motivation makes it hard to stick to.

Indeed, 65% of women surveyed said that they do not enjoy exercise – something that’s not surprising when you consider that many women see exercise as a form of punishment or a way to control their body.

Intrinsic forms of motivation – like enjoyment, better energy or improved sleep – are much more likely to motivate us to stick to our health and fitness goals. We just need to find ways to connect with these motivators. 

Numerous studies have highlighted time as one of the biggest barriers to exercise, so we weren’t surprised to see it listed here, too. However, the Vitality report found that while 22% of women strongly agree that they don’t have as much time for exercise as they’d like, others simply don’t see exercise as a priority.

In fact, the survey found that only 19% of women aged 18–29, 16% of women aged 30–49 and 15% of women aged 50+ list exercise as one of their top three goals, compared to over 40% who prioritise family and 30% who focus on mental health. This might explain why 36% of women feel guilty for taking the time for themselves to exercise (or do anything else that benefits them) – women are putting the needs of their family and friends above their own.

The irony is that making time for movement – even just 30 minutes a day – can have a massive impact on mental health and energy levels, both of which will put women in better stead to support themselves and those around them.

With 82% of women citing a lack of motivation as the main factor that negatively impacts their physical activity levels, it’s clear that more needs to be done to change the way we think about exercise and the benefits of taking that time. 

Entering fitness spaces for the first time can be intimidating enough, let alone when you don’t feel safe and supported to perform at your best. And for many women, this is the case.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering the number of women who listed weight loss as their number one motivator, over 60% of women reported that a fear of being judged for their body and ability prevents them from being more active. This is particularly prevalent among younger women, with 78% of those aged 20–29 and 73% of those aged 30–39 feeling that pressure.

The report also reveals that women do not feel empowered to exercise due to a lack of knowledge and appropriate resources. Incredibly, only 9% of women strongly agree that they feel informed about what exercise benefits them at different times in their lives. Fewer than one in five say they are confident that they know how to adapt their routines to fit their changing health needs over time. 

It’s hardly surprising, then, that women are moving away from exercise as they get older (52% of the women surveyed said they exercise less now than they used to), with transitional life stages such as motherhood and menopause seeing women move away from physical activity. The postpartum period was revealed to be particularly tricky: 74% of postpartum women reported that having a baby changed their relationship with exercise, with 37% of women saying that pelvic floor issues affected their ability to do physical activity.

It’s clear that we need more easily accessible information and support to help women learn about their fitness in a judgment-free zone – and resources to help them reassess their relationship with exercise as their lives and needs change. 

While the Vitality report makes for sobering reading, the good news is that there’s plenty that can be done to improve women’s relationships with health and fitness. Some of that work will start with businesses, employers and fitness professionals, and the report outlines key changes people in these groups can make to support women and make it easier for all of us to stay active.

The report also outlines some things we can do as individuals to foster a positive relationship with physical activity. These include:

• Recognising that getting started is often the hardest part and finding ways to make integrating physical activity into your life easier. Could you do some daily movement first thing in the morning, or introduce ‘exercise snacks’ into your working day? The key to building a positive habit that sticks is making sure you’re able to do something regularly.
• Having conversations with family members, friends and other women in your life to discuss ways we can support each other to prioritise physical activity. Perhaps you could start a WhatsApp group with your friends dedicated to exercise or get your family together for regular walks or runs?
• Trying to take the focus of your exercise away from weight loss by choosing a goal that’s centred around something like better sleep, improved mood or boosted energy.
• Giving new sports, fitness activities and dynamics a go to see what you enjoy. That might mean trying a new sport or gym class or finding a workout buddy to spend time in the gym with. 

Images: Getty