06 January 2012
The Irish Times published the results of an interesting in-depth analysis & survey (the 2011 Pembroke Communications Sports Sentiment Index) on the nation’s favourite physical pastimes on December 21st.
The good news is that almost 40 per cent of us claim to be active walkers, with the numbers jumping to 49.6% females. Also, it was interesting that those over 50 expressed the most love for sport, and that the 40-49 age group are the most active of all with over 75% of this category taking part in some sport or other.
Worringly, however, almost one in three adults do not participate in any sport of any kind, with slightly more women (35%) than men (30.2%) do not partake in any form of sport. This number rises to 41.7% for those over 50.
We at OnlyOutdoors believe that the only way to improve the lives of people of all ages in Ireland is to ensure that they always have enough outdoor exercise. We’re dedicated to improving the lives of all by providing a little bit of motivation and focus to ensure that this happens. We try and provide this motivation and focus and hope that eventually, behaviors will change. Studies have shown that the closer parks and recreational sites are to where people live, the more people use them and the more physically active they are (http://www.onlyoutdoors.ie/latest-news/latest-news-from-abroad/16-the-case-for-more-outdoor-fitness-areas.html).
The full Irish Times article is here: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/1221/1224309340269.html
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