LONDON, January 15 /PRNewswire/ --
- Virgin Active Survey Confirms Exercise Beats the Winter Blues
One in 10 Brits admits to feeling depressed every day, according to a new survey by Virgin Active, the UK's premier health club chain and research company Tick Box.
With the recession an ongoing cause of misery and Blue Monday*, the most depressing day of the week creeping up, our top concerns are money closely followed by life in general, weight and appearance, relationships, health and work - all in that order. Of over 3,000 people surveyed across the UK, active pursuits such as going to the gym, gardening, dog walking, walking, dancing, yoga, pilates and 'general exercise' are collectively the nation's favourite ways to beat depression - with one in three of us choosing one of these healthy pursuits over any other form of mood lifter.
Of those surveyed more people were likely to pursue physical activity than hit the bottle with less than a quarter of us are resorting to alcohol to beat depression. Overall, 85% of the 3,000 people surveyed believe that regular exercise makes a positive difference to the way they feel about their general wellbeing. In addition:
- 37.5% of us listen to music to beat the blues - 31.2% of us take a walk - 27.7% watch a movie - 27.6% see friends - 27.3% read a good book - More men than women also use exercise as a way to improve their mood but it is still women who get most depressed by their weight and appearance according to the survey - Only 20.8% men suggested their weight and appearance as the cause of depression compared to 43.1% of women.
This is not the first time that a period of recession has seen the UK public turn to exercise before other more costly mood lifters like retail or alcohol to feel better.
Throughout the past 200 years, whenever periods of economic depression have struck, an increase in sport and exercise has been seen
- The depression of 1807 saw boxing become very popular and then recognised as an official sport - The Long Depression of 1873-1896 saw the invention of American Football (May 14th 1874). It was a positive distraction from the bad times and like boxing, its aggressive nature appealed to those who felt weakened by the economy - During the Great Depression of 1929-1939, sport became mass entertainment and recreation because it was an inexpensive hobby. Group and community sports became a way to beat the blues. In addition the economic crisis of the early 80's and early 00's recessions all saw a rise in active pursuits.
Of all the causes of depression, more women than men worry about money, relationships, looks, weight and life whilst more men worry about work.
Other stats include;
- Londoners are the most health savvy with over one third (32.5%) of people using exercise as a way to make themselves feel better when they are feeling down or depressed. Only 11.5% of those living in Yorkshire noted exercise as a likely solution for depression like symptoms. - Over one third of those surveyed recognise the link between exercise and mental health with 41.4% of people motivated to exercise by the mental benefits (confidence, self esteem and alertness) they receive. 64.1% are motivated by the physical benefits. - The East of England were found to be the least mentally affected by their weight with only 27.4% of those surveyed depressed about their appearance.
* Blue Monday, the day highlighted by UK psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall as the most depressing day of the year falls on the 19th January 2009.
Tel.: +44(0)8451304747
Laura Hind; Golden Goose PR; +44(0)2073760070; Laura.hind@goldengoosepr.com
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