Enjoy Life

Finding Fitness Starts With Fashion

Getting in shape for summer begins with going shopping

• 1 in 3 use clothing as a motivation to get fit
• 23% feel more confident in the gym with a new outfit
• 79% need to feel good about themselves to work out

But gym-selfies are a no-no - 95% of people wouldn’t take a gym selfie or post their workout on social media

If you want to succeed at getting fit for summer, you should start by going shopping according to new research.

Data from the Decathlon Activity Index 2019, a study of more than 7,600 UK adults, reveals that 1 in 3 adults under the age of 44 use clothing as a motivation to get fit.

This may be having a new outfit as an incentive to go to the gym or simply a new workout kit. Just under a quarter of the sample (23%) said that they feel more confident in the gym when wearing a new outfit.

Getting the right outfit is such an effective motivation because most people (79%) need to feel good about themselves in order to exercise, according to the study.

The research has also busted common gym myths – while social media timelines can feel full of gym selfies and progress update photos, only 4% of Brits have ever taken a selfie in the gym, and only 5% have ever posted progress updates from their workouts, suggesting that Brits are exercising for personal benefit, rather than vanity. The numbers are even low for younger age groups, with just 10% of those aged 16-24 admitting to ever having taken a selfie in the gym.

While 36% of those aged 16-24 say that wearing new gym clothing improves their confidence, just 33% of them admit to spending over £50 on gym clothing in the past year.

Nicola Barnabo, fitness sports manager at Decathlon commented: “Many of us need a little kick-start in order to get back into the routine of regular exercise.

“Our research revealed that 79% of people are more likely to want to exercise if they feel good about themselves.

“Having the right clothing is a key part of that. Not only to make us feel like we look good, but also to have clothing that is comfortable for the exercise we are doing.

“For example, people who are wanting to increase their stamina through cardio will need clothing that is breathable and keeps them cool.

“Those looking to take part in yoga, for example, will need clothing that is a good fit and is designed to stretch with them as they exercise.”

The Decathlon Activity Index tracks rates of participation in sport and other physical activities across the year through a monthly, national survey.

Decathlon has 45 stores in the UK and sells a variety of sports equipment, clothing and accessories perfect for those want to get active or excel their performance.

For more information, visit www.decathlon.co.uk

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