世論 What Japan Thinks

Over the first five days at the start of February, MyVoice asked their online monitor group about exercise.

Demographics

13,158 people successfully completed the online questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 19% in their twenties, 40% in their thirties, 26% in their forties, and 13% in their fifties.

Note that walking in Q1 implies walking for the sake of exercise, not just walking through the station or on the way to work, unless it is deliberately for exercise, although the exact dividing line is unclear and up to the individual to choose. I must admit to being in the couch potato class; indeed recently due to changing the line I commute by, I’ve eliminated a 10 minute walk between home and the station. Plans to join a gym last Autumn were never realised.

Research results

Q1: Which of the following types of exercise do you do? (Sample size=13,158, multiple answer)

Walking	22.5%
Muscle training, stretching	15.5%
Ski, snowboard	7.7%
Golf	7.6%
Swimming	6.7%
Tennis	6.5%
Jogging, marathon	6.0%
Yoga, pilaztes	5.9%
Bowling	5.8%
Baseball, catchball	4.9%
Cycling	4.4%
Mountain climbing, hiking, trekking	4.4%
Football, futsal	3.7%
Fishing	3.6%
Badminton	3.2%
Aerobics	2.7%
Table tennis	2.4%
Volleyball	1.9%
Basketball	1.7%
Dance	1.6%
Martial arts	1.2%
Extreme sports	0.9%
Motor sports	0.8%
Surf, windsurf	0.7%
Ice skate	0.6%
Athletics	0.3%
Gateball	0.1%
Lacrosse	0.1%
Other	4.9%
Don’t do any exercise	39.5%
No answer	0.2%

Q2: About how often do you take exercise? (Sample size=13,158)

Almost every day	8.6%
Three or four days a week	10.7%
One or two days a week	21.7%
One or two days a month	11.0%
Less than once a month	6.1%
Almost never	41.9%

Q3: Where do you take exercise? (Sample size=those who do exercise, multiple answer)

On the street	30.0%
At home, indoors	25.3%
At court, sports ground	18.4%
At sports club, gym	17.2%
In public park	16.9%
In public sports centre	12.1%
At gymnasium	9.1%
At home, outdoors	6.2%
On specific walking, jogging, etc course	5.0%
School sports ground	3.8%
Work rooftop	0.4%
Other	16.7%
Nowhere in particular	2.7%
No answer	0.7%

Q4: Why do you take exercise? (Sample size=those who do exercise, multiple answer)

For health	69.0%
To maintain physical strength	38.0%
To build physical strength	31.6%
To relax, to cheer myself up	31.0%
For diet	30.8%
To relieve stress	28.5%
To shape up	23.4%
To build muscles	21.9%
For fun, for recreation	16.1%
Like doing exercise, as a hobby	15.9%
To increase body awareness	12.9%
For communication	8.0%
To make friends	6.9%
To join in with family or children	5.7%
To cure coldness in extermities	5.5%
In order to eat delicious food	2.8%
For status	1.3%
To promote growth (not really sure what of!)	1.1%
Other	3.9%
No particular reason	1.3%
No answer	0.7%

Note that the in order to eat delicious food answer most likely comes from people who do hiking or other walking activities, as the organised events often do finish at a local hostelry. This is also part of the reason why alcohol appears quite high up in the answers for Q6.

Q5: When exercising or after exercise, which of the following do you eat or drink? (Sample size=those who do exercise, multiple answer)

Sports drink	46.9%
Tap or mineral water	34.4%
Barley or other tea-like drinks	24.9%
Green tea	22.6%
Coffee	10.6%
Beer, other alcohol	8.2%
Milk	6.9%
Vegetable juice	6.8%
Fruit juice	6.2%
Lunch box, sweet breads, etc	6.2%
Fizzy drink	5.9%
Supplement	5.0%
Cookie, chocolate, Japanese sweets, etc	4.4%
Black tea	4.3%
Fruit	3.5%
Energy drink	3.1%
Lactic acid, yoghurt-based drink	3.0%
Ice cream, ice lolly, etc	3.0%
Soft-pack jelly drink	2.9%
Sweets, rice cracker, etc	2.3%
Nutritionally-balanced food product	1.9%
Fast food	1.2%
Instant food	1.0%
Other	2.1%
Don’t eat or drink anything in particular	11.6%
No answer	8.0%

Q6: From where do you obtain relevant information regarding exercise? (Sample size=13,158, multiple answer)

Television program	34.5%
Book, magazine	30.1%
Family, friends	23.2%
Newspaper column	12.4%
Television commercial	10.6%
Sports-related company, organisation’s web site	7.1%
Personal blog entry, word of mouth site	5.7%
Sports club front desk, instructor	5.7%
Doctor, medical professional	4.6%
Newspaper advertisement	3.8%
Personal instructor, teacher	3.8%
Pamphlet, newspaper insert	3.5%
Local government-related activity newsletter	3.4%
Sports shop front desk, employee	2.4%
Radio program	1.8%
Other advertisement (on street, in train, etc)	1.8%
Health union	1.5%
School	0.9%
Radio commercial	0.9%
Other	2.5%
No particular reference source	32.2%
No answer	2.2%