The bar chart shows the types of exercise done regularly by adults in three age groups worldwide in 2014, while the pie chart illustrates adults’ attitudes towards exercise in the same year.
Overall, most adults had a positive attitude towards exercise: 42% already enjoyed it, while a further 36% said they would like to exercise more. Only a small minority did not exercise or were not interested in doing so. Regarding exercise types, fitness classes were the most popular option among the two younger groups, whereas walking was by far the most common activity among people aged 55 and over.
Among 18- to 34-year-olds, fitness classes were the most popular form of exercise, at around 45%, followed by cycling, at approximately 30%. Swimming and dance classes were also relatively common in this age group, at about 28% and 24% respectively, while yoga and walking were less popular.
A similar pattern can be seen among adults aged 35-54, although the figures were generally lower. Just under 40% attended fitness classes, and around 30% cycled regularly. Yoga, swimming and walking were each chosen by roughly one fifth of this group.
By contrast, almost 60% of people aged 55 and over walked regularly, making it their most popular activity by a considerable margin. Fitness classes ranked second, at just under 30%, while cycling was the least common activity, at only around 5%.