The table compares the proportion of people in four age groups who participated in walking, swimming and gym workouts in 2010, 2015 and 2020.
Overall, participation in all three activities increased across every age group over the ten-year period. Walking was consistently the most popular activity, particularly among younger individuals, while gym workouts showed the most noticeable growth, especially among those aged 18-29 and 30-49.
In the 18-29 group, walking rose steadily from 54% in 2010 to 61% in 2020. A similar upward trend can be seen in swimming and gym workouts, which increased from 32% to 39% and from 29% to 41%, respectively. A comparable pattern is evident among 30-49 year-olds, where walking climbed from 48% to 56%, while gym participation experienced a significant rise from 22% to 35%, representing the sharpest growth within this age category.
Participation among older groups was generally lower, although it also followed an upward trend. For those aged 50-64, walking increased from 45% in 2010 to 53% in 2020, while gym workouts rose more modestly from 17% to 24%. The 65+ group recorded the lowest figures overall, yet steady growth was still observed, with walking rising from 39% to 46% and gym participation from 11% to 17% over the period.
In summary, walking remained the dominant activity across all age groups, while gym workouts experienced the most substantial relative growth, particularly among younger adults.