‘According to a survey by WHO, physical activity by adults has decreased by five per cent globally between 2010 and 2022. In the same period, the number of recreational athletes has increased in Hungary. However, gyms in Hungary are still not necessarily stable investments,’ József Kiss, executive director of the National Association of Gymnasiums of Hungary shared with with business website Világgazdaság on Monday, 1 July.
The article also claims that the number of recreational athletes has almost quadrupled in the last ten years. Director Kiss cited that
a decade ago, only 1–2 per cent of the Hungarian population had physical exercise regularly, while today, that number is around five per cent.
Additionally, he shared, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the exercise habits of Hungarians significantly, with more people exercising in the open air and more people having equipped their apartments and houses with fitness gear. This, evidently, is the result of gyms and other sports facilities being closed for months and months during the pandemic.
The aforementioned report by WHO states that around 1.8 billion adults around the world face health risks due to a lack of physical activity.
‘These new findings highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer and heart disease, and improve mental health and well-being through increased physical activity,’ Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General wrote in a press release. ‘We must renew our commitment to increasing levels of physical activity and prioritizing bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.’
Világgazdaság reached out to Prime Rate Kft, a printing company based in Budapest, which provides their employees with memberships to one of the city’s largest gym chains as part of their benefits. Their experience has been very positive about the scheme, a representative told the website.
Not only does it improve the employee’s health, making it less likely that they would need to go on sick leave, but it also functions as a team and community building activity, given that many of the employees like to go to the gym together.
Related articles:
