Fitness goals are ditched after an average of 33 days, new research has revealed. A survey of 2,000 Brits discovered 37% of people give up on their fitness goals within 30 days of beginning them. More than a third (36%) find it tough to maintain motivation once the initial buzz fades, while one quarter struggle to squeeze exercise around work and family obligations.
Recovery as an Obstacle
The study also showed 55% consider the recovery process an obstacle, with 89% confessing they have battled through exhaustion to hit their step count or fitness target. Nevertheless, 82% said boosting their physical health remains amongst their top priorities, and 54% are hoping to exercise more consistently over the coming 12 months.
Olympic medallist Max Whitlock, who has teamed up with Samsung for the launch of the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, which commissioned the research, said: "Recovery isn't the reward for training, it's part of the training. The sessions everyone sees are only possible because of everything that happens afterwards."
"Understanding when your body needs rest is just as important as knowing when to push."
The Recovery Gap
The study, conducted via OnePoll.com, also revealed 25% actively schedule rest and recovery days into their routine. However, 16% only take rest days when they feel sore, tired or run down. Even though 48% agree that rest and recovery are just as important as exercise, 18% find it hard to prioritise them, leading to a growing recovery gap between exercise and rest.
In fact, adults were more likely to base their assessment of how their body is responding to rest and recovery on how they feel physically (53%) or their level of tiredness (40%), rather than taking a set approach (15%). And only 23% admitted to resting and recovering properly.
Personalised Insights Could Help
When asked what the biggest impact would be if respondents had access to personalised recovery insights, 34% said they would know when they need to rest and recover. And 70% agreed that understanding how their body is responding to training and recovery would help them improve their fitness or performance.
Annika Bizon, a spokesperson for the brand, added: "More people are taking their fitness seriously and challenging themselves to achieve more, but our research shows there's still a gap between how people train and how they recover - in many ways, we're training like athletes but recovering like amateurs."
"People want to be better informed about their health and what their bodies are telling them, and this is where technology can play an important role. By turning personal health data into tailored, actionable insights, people can understand when they might be ready to push themselves and when they might need more rest."
