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CHAPTER SEVEN CONCLUSIONS
Overall
7.1 The findings from this survey are consistent with previous research (e.g. the 2003 Scottish Health Survey) which has shown that most Scots are not exercising enough.
7.2 The people who do exercise regularly are doing so for the many physical and mental health benefits - and they also enjoy it. Moreover, almost everyone appreciates the benefits and agrees that being physically active is good for physical and mental health, gives you more energy and is enjoyable. But despite this understanding of the benefits by those who never exercise, and the actual experience of the benefits by those who exercise sometimes but not often enough, there are clearly some significant barriers preventing people exercising as much as they should - or, indeed, as much as they would like.
7.3 The biggest barrier is time. Two-thirds of those who want to exercise more say that lack of time is one of the main problems. Participation levels drop off after the age of around 25 - when people start getting jobs, having families etc. When they might be able to start increasing their activity levels, once their children are older and work commitments lessen, health problems start to become more of a barrier (see below).
7.4 It could, of course, be argued that being 'too busy' is something of an excuse and that if people had more motivation they would prioritise exercise and find the time. Nonetheless, strategies aimed at increasing people's activity levels need to acknowledge this barrier and help remove the 'excuse'. It is telling that the change most wanted by respondents was to be able to fit activity in around their usual routine.
7.5 Health is also a big barrier, affecting a third of those who want to exercise more, and it is increasingly a barrier with age. Overall, motivational issues and the accessibility and availability of facilities are considerably less important than the problems created by lack of time and poor health.
Particular groups
7.6 There are also some specific findings relating to particular groups, and these should be considered in efforts to increase participation. However, in considering these specific issues, it is important not to lose sight of the main barriers - time and health - which apply to almost all.
Younger people
7.7 Lack of time is the biggest barrier for all age groups up to and including those aged 45-59. There is a considerable drop in participation between those in the 16-24 age group (50% of whom exercise several times a week) and those in the 25-34 age group (36% of whom exercise several times a week) as job and family responsibilities increase.
7.8 Although lack of time is clearly the biggest factor, the availability and accessibility of facilities impacts on the participation of those aged 16-34 much more than older groups, and they are also more likely to be affected by motivational issues.
7.9 Those aged 16-24 are particularly likely to want people to go with, information on what is available in their area and advice on where to start.
7.10 Those aged 25-44 were more concerned than other groups about crèche/childcare facilities and children's programmes running in parallel to adult programmes - but being able to fit exercise in around their usual routine was the change most frequently mentioned by this group.
Older people
7.11 Health problems increase with age and are by far the biggest barrier to participation for those aged 60+. Efforts to increase participation among older people therefore need to focus on support for health problems/disabilities, and on increasing awareness and confidence about the levels of exercise and types of activities that might be beneficial.
People in the most deprived areas
7.12 Although more people in deprived areas were not exercising, reasons for not exercising were broadly similar across different groups. Health and time were the biggest factors, as they were for those in the least deprived areas. However, motivational reasons affected more people in deprived areas.
7.13 Those living in the most deprived areas were no more likely to indicate that the accessibility or availability of facilities (including cost) were barriers to participation.
7.14 However, they were more likely to say that a safer neighbourhood would make a difference (20% in the most deprived areas mentioned this, compared with 9% in the least deprived).
7.15 Those living in the most deprived were not as strongly convinced of the benefits of exercise. Lower numbers in these areas strongly agreed that "being physically active is good for your physical health", that it is "good for your mental health", that it "gives you more energy" or that it is "enjoyable". This perhaps suggests that health communications stressing the benefits of being physically active should be targeted at deprived areas.
Men
7.16 Compared with women, men's participation levels drop sharply between the ages of 16-24 (58% of men in this age range exercise several times a week) and 25-34 (36% of men in this age range exercise several times a week). This is partly because men were much more likely to say that they stopped/reduced their activity because they ' got too old'. This may perhaps reflect the type of exercise that men were involved in (football, for example) which may be harder to continue as age increases and may also be more likely to result in injuries which limit future participation.
7.17 Strategies to increase men's participation could therefore focus on ways to maintain their participation as they reach their early/mid twenties and encourage participation in alternative forms of exercise if age or injury prevent men from taking part in sports they previously enjoyed.
Women
7.18 As with men, lack of time is the biggest barrier to women's participation and they are much more likely to say that they reduced their activity because of family responsibilities. Linked with this, perhaps, they are more likely than men to want to do something at home. Strategies to increase women's activity levels might therefore be best focused on providing advice on how to fit activity around daily routines - including how to exercise at home.
7.19 A significant minority of women (29%) agree that "when I hear the word sport I turn off" and women are much less likely than men to enjoy the competitive side of sport. Non-competitive activities, rather than sports, are more likely to appeal to these women and this should be borne in mind in campaigns and initiatives to increase their participation.
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