Women more likely to succeed with New Year’s Resolutions than men

Women in the UK are more likely to stick to and achieve a New Year’s Resolution than men, according to a new poll(i) published today by the Stroke Association.

The charity’s latest survey revealed that 20% of women saw through their resolutions in 2017, while just 16% of men stuck to their goals.

By contrast, the poll found that over a quarter of men who made resolution to start running (26%) saw through this resolution, compared to just over a tenth of women (14%). Additionally, half of men (50%) who made a resolution to improve their diet and eat healthier are still keeping up their resolution to this day, in comparison to just over a third of women (38%).

The charity surveyed over 2,000 UK adults as part of its What’s Your Resolution? campaign, which calls on people across the UK make a New Year’s pledge to sign up to a 5k, 10k or 15k Resolution Run in the spring of 2018. The results also found that:

However, spending more time with family is a priority for both sexes, with over half of women succeeding (57%) and almost half of men (47%).

Dominic Brand, Executive Director of External Affairs at the Stroke Association, said: “As we ring in the New Year, many people are making resolutions, from the serious to the outlandish. It’s really interesting to see how men and women have different approaches to their New Year goals. However, we’re pleased to see both are making healthy resolutions, as regular moderate exercise can significantly reduce your risk of stroke by 27%(ii).

“We’re constantly bombarded with healthy living messages, from getting our five-a-day to taking regular exercise, and finding the time to look after ourselves properly isn’t always easy or a priority. So what’s your resolution for 2018? Make yours to join one of our 5k, 10k or 15k Resolution Run challenges this spring. We’ve made it easy for you to sign up and stay on track – visit our website. You can walk, jog or run with the assurance that we offer support and motivation every step of the way to help all our participants, regardless of their physical fitness.

“Every five minutes across the UK, someone’s life is turned upside down by stroke. By signing up to a Resolution Run, you will help us ensure that we can continue to support stroke survivors and their families as they rebuild their lives.”

There are more than 100,000 strokes in the UK each year; around one stroke every five minutes. Men are at higher risk of having a stroke at a younger age than women, however there are a greater number of stroke related deaths in women.

For more information about entering or volunteering at the Stroke Association’s Resolution Run series, visit http://www.stroke.org.uk/resolution, email resolution@stroke.org.uk or call 0300 330 0740.

Notes to editors:

(i)All research was conducted online by Opinium Research from the 23rd to 27th of November 2017, amongst a nationally representative sample of 2,001 UK adults. The sample was weighted to reflect a nationally representative audience.

(ii)www.stroke.org.uk/what-is-stroke/what-can-i-do-to-reduce-my-risk/do-more-exercise