Three in five Irish adults miss out on basic exercise

THE couch potato is a fact of Irish life — and he’s storing up health problems.

Only two in five adults take the recommended minimum amount of physical exercise, a report released today shows.

And 800,000 people one in five of the adult population admit to taking no exercise whatsoever.

The report, commissioned by the Irish Sports Council (ISC), confirms that people who do not exercise are more likely to become mentally and physically ill than people who take regular exercise.

Recreational walking is by far the most popular form of leisure time physical activity. About 60% of the 3,000 adults who were interviewed for the study between July and September 2003 had taken a walk in the previous four weeks.

Irish participation in physical activity is in line with international levels, 40% of adults here participating to a level recommended by the World Health Organisation.

The study, being launched by Arts, Sport and Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue, was undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute.

Apart from walking, the most popular sports are golf, soccer, swimming and GAA games for men, and swimming and aerobics for women.

ISC chief executive John Treacy said too many people who were physically inactive at work remained relatively inactive in their free time.

Mental health as well as physical health would be protected and enhanced if people began exercising, he said.

Failure to take exercise could lead to ill-health and an earlier death, said Mr Treacy, who suggested people take a half-hour brisk walk every day.

Mr Treacy said the benefits of exercise should be particularly instilled in young people who were much more sedentary than earlier generations.

The Government invested €610 million in sport (excluding horses and dogs) since 1997. This, according to Sports Minister O'Donoghue, has value in maintaining and increasing sports participation and makes a contribution to health and wellness.