Looking like an Olympian - what’s driving us to get fit in 2013

Nearly three-quarters (71%) of Europeans do some form of exercise at least once a week, however we have bigger goals for the year ahead – 85% expect to exercise at least once a week and over a third claim this will be three times a week if not more.

But are we already setting our sights too high? Research commissioned by Sony, to celebrate the launch of its first waterproof Walkman, reveals that our renewed enthusiasm for fitness is not just being driven by losing weight and feeling healthier. A third of adults in Europe are hoping that a boost in exercise will make them more attractive to their partner, nearly one in 10 (8%) have been inspired by 2012’s summer of sport and are hoping to get an Olympic physique.

With such expectations we might need a helping hand when it comes to motivation, especially as last year two thirds (64%) of those who focused on getting fit didn’t keep it up until the end of the year, and a third found themselves lapsing back into old habits as early as January.

But help is at hand – music can help people train for longer without even realising it, which is why Sony has developed a wearable and waterproof Walkman® that can be used when doing almost any exercise. Research has shown that music has been proven to increase endurance and lower the perception of effort when exercising. For example, listening to music during training has helped elite tri-athletes in Australia increase their endurance by 15%, and energy efficiency by 1-3%, which means running further in the same amount of time (1).

Khim Lynn Tan, European Product Manager at Sony, said: “Listening to music suggests that people will get more from each workout and therefore see the benefits of their new found regime much quicker – encouraging them to stick to their new exercise routines in the New Year. The new, fully waterproof, W273 Walkman® from Sony can be used in the gym, swimming pool or for many other sports and offers all the sound quality you’d expect from Sony in one small package. This means that whatever sport you take part in, you can experience the benefits of a backing track to help keep you motivated and going just that little bit longer.”

The research polled 6,000 adults across six European countries: UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Sweden, looking at fitness motivations in 2013. The survey revealed that people need a bit of extra help to keep them on the right track for achieving their goals.

[1]Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10767128