According to a new survey from Life Time, a majority of Americans, living in the U.S., have reported gaining weight, losing muscle mass and are struggling with mental health this year.
The survey polled more than 1,200 participants from age 18 to 70+ on health- and fitness-related topics ranging from what makes members feel healthy, happy and stressed to preferred workout styles and activities.
The survey found nearly 86 percent of respondents said they missed their in-person workout communities. Overall results point to COVID-19 having a substantial negative impact on the health and fitness habits for most respondents. Nearly 70 percent of said their personal health has been negatively impacted in 2020. Top reasons cited include:
- Overall stress from the pandemic (44.5 percent)
- The closure of gyms (31.8 percent)
- Working from home has lead to less motivation to exercise (15.2 percent)
Many respondents (70.5 percent) struggled to find the motivation to work out from home, with 76 percent of respondents adding that they believe health clubs are essential businesses and should be allowed to remain open during the pandemic.
Despite—or because of—these struggles, an overwhelming percentage of respondents are extremely motivated to regain their health and fitness in the new year with 80.5 percent of respondents saying they felt more inspired to make a health goal in 2021, including
- 34.2 percent will focus on weight loss;
- 22 percent will concentrate on building muscle; and
- 12.5 percent will emphasize mental health.
For those who previously commuted to work, they are “redeeming” their commute time in the following ways:
- 34 percent are catching up on sleep;
- 32 percent are spending more time with family;
- 23 percent are finding more time for exercise; and
- 11 percent are eating more thoughtful meals.
