Tom Daley performing at the Olympics
The Olympics have taken over our televisions and our time and now they're influencing our lifestyles too.
New research has found that the great physical shape of the Olympians competing in the London 2012 games has inspired half of Britons and left them feeling motivated to lead healthier liefstyles.
The study found that, as a direct result of the Olympics, 21 per cent of Brits want to 'eat healthier', 61 per cent want to get a 'fitter body' and a tenth want to 'take up' a sporting activity.
The study, conducted by www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, asked 1,093 people across the UK what impact the Olympics has so far had on their outlook of life, if any, and if they have felt motivated to change any bad habits. According to the study, more than half of the respondents stated that they felt ‘inspired’ by the appearance of the Olympians.
The 54 per cent of respondents who stated that they felt ‘inspired’ by the appearance of the Olympians were asked to specify what made them feel that way. The study found that the majority, 69 per cent, felt inspired by the athletes’ ‘toned figures’, whilst a further 31 per cent said it was the ‘dedication’ of the Olympians which inspired them.
A further 18 per cent of the respondents who stated that they felt inspired by the Olympians said it was due to their ‘motivation’.
The total number of respondents were asked if the Olympics had inspired them to make ‘healthier’ changes to their lifestyle to which almost three quarters said ‘yes’. 61 per cent of these said that the Olympics had inspired them to ‘get fitter’.
More than a tenth of the respondents stated that as a ‘direct result’ of the Olympics they planned to ‘take up’ a sporting activity. Furthermore, a fifth of those polled that claimed the Olympics had inspired them to make a healthier change to their lifestyle said they planned to ‘eat healthier’.
Speaking about the findings, Mark Pearson, Chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, said the following:
“I am really enjoying the Olympics and being based in London has certainly meant that I am able to soak up the atmosphere. It would be great if the event encouraged people to be healthier, perhaps by taking up a sport of some kind.”
He continued,
“The Olympians certainly look in great shape and I can imagine that some people may have felt intimidated by their appearance, but above all inspired as our study found! It is positive that some people are using the Olympics as a source of motivation. I would definitely encourage people to get fitter and eat healthier, as after all the Olympics will need new athletes in four years!”