According to the data in the fifth report devoted to this topic, 73% of Portuguese say they never exercise or exercisewith 5% more doing it “rarely”, more than those doing it “regularly”, 4%. “With some regularity” is the answer of 18% of the Portuguese respondents.
The data is particularly severe in the country, which has the highest percentage of European countries covered by the study, followed by Greece (68%) and Poland (65%).
At the other extreme are the Finns, with 71% of those surveyed in that country admitting to exercising or exercising at least once a week, but also Luxembourg (63%) and the Netherlands (60%).
This is the first Eurobarometer devoted to sport and physical activity published since 2017, the date of the last edition, with 49% of Europeans surveyed indicating that they engage in some form of physical or sporting activity.
In addition, global data shows that 38% of Europeans exercise at least once a week, 17% less often and up to 45% not at all.
The highest activity rates are among the youngest, between 15 and 24 years old, with more than half of Europeans in this age group, 54%, doing it with “some regularity”, falling to 42% between 25 and 39 and 32 years old % between 40 and 54. From 55, only 21% say they exercise regularly.
The Eurobarometer also looked at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which in Portugal kept 41% of respondents physically active, but less often, still a figure above the European average of 34%.
Only 22% remained “physically active as before”, 19% stopped exercising and 7% started exercising more.
Among the reasons given by respondents for the lack of more regular physical activity, lack of time, motivation or interest in sports are the most common..
Conversely, improved health, better physical condition and a sense of relaxation are the main motivators reported, with about a third of respondents saying they prefer to exercise at home.
Launched as part of the European Week of Sport, the Eurobarometer shows “the importance and vitality of increasing efforts to promote physical activity, healthy lifestyles and universal values, from gender equality to social inclusion, through sport to continue and step up”, the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, said.
“As we work with the Member States and partners of the European sports family, from clubs to athletes and coaches, and especially with young people, on the European Year of Youth, we will use this week again to encourage all Europeans to play sports. like,” he defended.
Source: DN
