Do you worry too much about how you look?
Fashion trends and concerns about appearance could be having a detrimental effect on the health and fitness of our nation’s women according to a new survey.
More than two thirds of women admitted that they don’t even do the ‘minimum’ daily recommended amount of exercise every week which is essential for maintaining long-term good health.
Worryingly, of the reasons given for not always doing the recommended exercise, a third were related to vanity and fashion trends, revealed the survery commissioned by Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, in paternership with Tesco.
Young women are the worst culprits, with around three fifths of the reasons given for not always doing the recommended amount of exercise being vanity related. These included: current fashion trends and not wanting to ruin their hair or makeup. Around two fifths of 18-24 year old women said that they care more about the way they look on the outside over taking care of their overall health and fitness levels.
Celebrity psychologist Jo Hemmings said: "These statistics show that there is a disturbing trend for young women to place a higher value on their physical appearance rather than on their long term health, yet these days there is no need to have to sacrifice the way you look in order to maintain your fitness! It’s all a question of balance and understanding that you can look good whilst still managing to fit a simple, regular and effective exercise routine into your busy life.
"Making simple daily lifestyle changes such as swapping your high heels on the way to work for a pair of stylish but comfortable ballet flats can make day to day activity much more achievable and help ease you into a more active lifestyle."
The survey, conducted by YouGov, also shows that towering high heels, worn by those in TV shows like TOWIE, could prevent half of all women from being more active. And over two fifths of women admit that they are more likely to take the stairs if they are wearing flat shoes rather than heels.
TOWIE’s Sam Faiers who is supporting Race for Life said: "Looking groomed is really important to me but I want to stress to all the ladies out there that it is still possible to do that all-important exercise and look great at the same time!
"Events such as Race for Life are fantastic as you can do an hour’s activity with all of your friends to raise money for a great cause and still look glamorous whilst doing it."
Emma Hyatt of Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life said: "It is worrying to hear that so many women don’t manage to do exercise every week as around 3,000 cancers every year are linked to people being inactie and many scientific studies have shown that people who are active are less likely than inactive people to develop breast, bowel and womb cancer."
Since it began in 1994, an incredible six million participants have taken part in Race for Life raising a massive £457 million to fund Cancer Research UK’s vital work. In 2012, Cancer Research UK hopes to raise £55 million and is urging more women to sign up now to an event this summer.
Cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled in the past 40 years and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of this progress. But there’s still much to be done and the money raised through Race for Life, will help save even more lives.
Tagged in Heart Health shoes fashion Fashion Trends Sam Faiers fitness tips