Runners shun outdoors
SCOTLAND is trying to shed the “sick man of Europe” tag, but we do not fancy going outside to do it.
New research shows we are shunning jogging outdoors and favouring indoor activities such as swimming when it comes to keeping fit.
Less than one in five of Scots said they get on their running shoes to keep themselves in shape. Scotland ranks alongside Yorkshire and Humberside in their ambivalence to a run, according to a survey of 10 regions of Britain.
With the London Marathon just days away, the research showed it is folk in Inner and Greater London who had the greatest hunger for running, with more than one in three saying they go jogging to keep fit, with the north east second in the league table with 33 per cent into running.
And while being home to one of Britain’s most successful Olympians, cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, Scotland ranks mid-table when it comes to outdoor cycling for fitness purposes. Some 12 per cent of Scots go road cycling, lagging behind the East Midlands which top the participation league table with 16 per cent.
And Scots rank poorly when it comes to spinning or static cycling with just three per cent taking part, behind those in the north east (seven per cent) who had the greatest appetite for exercise bikes.
Last month a report by Cycling Scotland said there has been a 32 per cent increase in the number of people cycling since 2003.
The 2014 keep fit market research by Mintel indicated Scots preferred to do their exercise indoors.
While walking, like the rest of the UK, is Scotland’s fitness activity of choice with 40 per cent taking part, indoor swimming is the second most favoured keep fit pastime. Perhaps inspired by the exploits of Ross Murdoch who won 200m breaststroke gold at the Commonwealth Games, some 30 per cent of Scots say they take to the pool to keep fit, ranking second in the regional swimming league table only to Inner and Greater London (35 per cent).
Senior leisure analyst David Walmsley said that Scots seem to be keener on indoor fitness activities.
“Our research suggests Scots are more likely than average to take part in in-home and individual fitness activities to maintain a healthy lifestyle, because their family and friends do so or just for fun,” he said.
“That means they may see activities like swimming as more in tune with these motivations than running.
“Exercise preferences are influenced by everything from participation costs and facility provision to general levels of health, personal motivation and even the weather or climate, so it’s likely that a combination of these factors is shaping Scots’ habits.
“Scots are actually slightly more likely than average to take part in individual fitness activities generally – 69 per cent have done so during the past year – but they appear to prefer to do other things than run or jog.
“If you look at swimming, for example, it’s only in London that past-year participation rates are higher than those seen in Scotland.”
And sportscotland said the reluctance for running does not mean Scots are shunning sport.
A sportscotland spokesperson said: “Overall memberships of Scottish governing bodies of sport are rising. The Active Schools network is showing record levels of participant sessions across Scotland, the number of qualified coaches has significantly increased and we have more than 85,000 individual members at more than 800 clubs in 137 community sport hubs across the country.
“Last year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles helped raise the profile of sport.
“Hosting those events, and the strategy that we and our partners implemented to capitalise on them, is having a positive impact.”
Scots are more likely to take part in in-home and individual fitness activities
APPARENTLY Scots are lagging behind others in the UK when it comes to donning the Lycra and going out for a run. According to a recent Mintel survey, only 19 per cent of us enjoy jogging, as opposed to one in three in London.
The first reaction to these figures is likely to be one of resignation. We all know that Scotland, particularly the West of Scotland, is the sick man of Europe. Correct? And yes, health statistics show not only that too many Scots are getting alarmingly fat, but also that 2,500 a year of us are dying of inactivity.
But is this really the whole story? Of course not. We might not be jogging as much as Londoners – many pedestrians might say this is no bad thing in itself – but we are getting on our bikes. Membership of Scottish Cycling, for example, has grown by 35 per cent since 2012.
And, as the aforementioned Mintel survey also points out, many women in particular prefer to go for a swim or a walk than a run. According to Scottish Government figures, 57 per cent of us take recreational walks.
We should all be taking more exercise, obviously, for mental relief as well as physical fitness. But running is not the only option. And let us be honest: it can be murder on the knees.