Nearly half of Brits do no cardio exercise

Image: Life Fitness 

Research carried out by YouGuv on behalf of nutrition company Predator Nutrition, revealed that 48% of the UK public do no cardio.

The survey, which incorporated 2,000 men and women across the UK, found that women were more likely not to do any cardio exercise than men. 50% of women participating in the survey said they do no cardio at all, compared to 45% of men.

The study revealed regional differences across the UK, with 58% in Northern Ireland saying they did no cardio at all, compared to 53% in Scotland, 51% in Wales and 47% in England.

A quarter of respondents, 25%, said they do less than an hour’s cardio exercise a week. More than two thirds of Brits, 31%, said they never do weight training. The majority of Brits also don’t do any strength training, with 73% of women and 64% of men saying it’s not something they do.

The survey showed that, for a large number of people, the lack of exercise is combined with a lifestyle that entails spending the majority of their time sitting down.

34% of participants said they sit for more than seven hours a day, while 8% said they sit for more than 11 hours a day. The survey revealed that a lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle often goes hand in hand with less than healthy eating habits.

Only 6% of respondents said they eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. 16% said they eat sugary and processed food every day and 65% that they eat them once a week.

A spokesperson for Predator Nutrition said: “With obesity on the rise in the UK it is disappointing to discover that so many of us are still not finding the time to exercise.

“We hope our study will highlight that more needs to be done to encourage people to quit their bad habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle.”