Unprecedented Number of Adults Participating in Sport and Recreational Walking
Date: 07-06-2020
Sport Ireland research shows 1.9 million regular participants in sporting activitiesOver 3.1 million regular walkers during Covid-19 restrictionsLowest level of inactive people in history of Sport Ireland research
The number of adults participating in sport and recreational walking during Covid-19 restrictions is unprecedented in the history of Sport Ireland research according to the second volume of a report just published.
See more here https://www.sportireland.ie/news/unprecedented-number-of-adults-participating-in-sport-and-recreational-walking
According to the research, which was conducted by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of Sport Ireland, the current participation rate in sporting activity is 51%. Three sports dominate the sporting landscape at present with approximately 710,000 participants in exercise, 680,000 runners and 510,000 cyclists.
The research was in five phases, beginning on 28th February with the latest phase covering 30th April to 15th May. In total over 5,000 interviews took place during this period.
A further promising finding from the report is that the combined effect of the participation in sport and recreational walking means that the proportion of adults described as sedentary in the National Sports Policy has declined to 11% compared to 22% during the same period in 2019. This is the lowest level of sedentarism ever recorded by Sport Ireland.
The numbers of adults walking for recreation have increased throughout the crisis, increasing by a cumulative 18% over the five phases of the research. The figure of 83% is the highest level ever recorded and is equivalent to over 3.1 million regular walkers. More than half of the adult population (52%) report that they are engaging in sufficient levels of activity to meet the National Physical Activity Guidelines.