We're A Nation Of Exercise Exaggerators

by Emma Barlow | 29 October 2015

With exercise and eating healthily fast becoming a marker for social status, Britain has become a nation of exercise exaggerators, a term used to describe people that lie about their health and fitness regimes.

In a new report by Noom Coach, a behavioural change health app, findings have revealed that one in three of us admit that we lie to co-workers and friends about how often we train and how much we workout at the gym.

In a bid to sound fitter, cooler and more dedicated than we are half of Brits admit they lie to friends about going for a run during their free time and for those that do actually run, a third add on an average of 2k to their distance when talking to colleagues.

The research has revealed that Britons are so desperate to keep up their fitness appearance to others that they are even battling to out-do each other in the 'soreness stakes.' One in five people admitting to exaggerating muscle soreness or stiffness attributed to running, cycling and cross training, as a way to sound like they've worked harder than they have.

One of the main reasons cited for the fitness fibs was to come across dedicated and committed and to avoid looking lazy.

Further findings also revealed that a third of Britons admit they create a 'gymage' to look more attractive to their potential love interests and a quarter of people said they take a gym kit to the office even though they have no intention of going. The research also found that a fifth of Britons opt for the word 'training' to describe their fitness habits, as opposed to 'working out' or 'going to the gym' because it makes them sound fitter and fitness savvy.

Telling tales is also common when it comes to our healthy eating habits. Two in five people admit they have made and drunk a protein recovery drink in front of friends, specifically to look healthy. And, a fifth admit they take a salad to work just so colleagues comment on how healthy their diet is.

Susanne Wechsler, Noom Coach, says "While it's reassuring to see that being healthy and fit is now deemed to be a status of success it's really surprising to hear how many people are exaggerating the truth when it comes to health and fitness habits."

"Being fit and healthy isn't always a case of running 10 miles a week, it can also be simple measures such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, getting off the bus a stop or two earlier or cutting out sugary food and drinks during the day."

"At Noom we focus on helping our users to track their health and fitness so that they can see what exercise, whether it's little or a lot, they're doing and how effective it is. We encourage our users to instil healthy habits into their lifestyle that stay for the long term."