Women's activity confines them to the equivalent of a prison life sentence

A study commissioned by Sure Women today reveals the shocking extent of women’s lack of movement, which is comparable to a huge 32 years and 3 months of self-imposed inactivity over the course of their lives, comparable to more than a 25-year prison life sentence.

The shocking new study from Sure Women found that the average UK woman spends three quarters (75%) of the waking day inactive. Almost a quarter (21%) confessed to participating in physical exercise less than once a week, if at all, preferring to spend time watching TV (55%), browsing the internet (42%) or doing nothing at home (36%).

The report also reveals the impact of women’s fear of judgement when it comes to exercise, leading to their isolation and lack of movement, which could have serious health implications. Half (49%) of women polled have at some point felt negatively judged when working out - with this number highest for those aged 18 -24, with a huge 70% feeling this way.

The biggest judgment factors UK women have felt include not being “good enough” to exercise (37%), that others will think they don’t know what they are doing (34%) and that they don’t look “attractive” when working out (28%).

In response, Sure Women has launched its Your World Your Workout initiative – designed to encourage women to use the everyday world around them to move more without fear of judgement, just by incorporating simple steps in their daily routine.

The new research found that despite spending nearly £300 on gym memberships and fitness classes per year, a quarter of women (25%) are still feeling too intimidated to regularly work out, suffering with “gymtimidation”- choosing to isolate themselves and stay at home instead.

Although two thirds (67%) of women wish they worked out more, top reasons for avoiding a workout or not exercising all together include:

Not having enough money for the gym/classes – 27%Feeling too intimidated by the gym – 25%Worrying about looking unfit in front of other people – 21%Worrying about what other people think of me – 19%Not knowing how to use machinery or exercise efficiently – 16%Worrying about getting too red and sweaty – 15%Fear of not being good enough – 14%Feeling that I need to be better before I workout in public – 14%Feeling intimidated by the gym because of male trainers – 14%Not liking how I look in workout clothing - 12%

Courtney Lucas, Brand Manager for Sure Women, said: "We were shocked when we discovered the extent of women’s lack of movement and the barriers they face to working out. Our Your World Your Workout initiative aims to fuel a conversation about the importance of women having the confidence to move more in their everyday lives, using the world around them to feel more confident and benefit their long-term health.”

She added: “It could be as simple as getting off the bus a stop early to walk, taking the stairs instead of the lift or just simply heading out for a long stroll on a Sunday with the family - these are all examples of small movements that can make a big impact.”

Dr Sarah Jarvis, TV doctor and expert in women’s health is working with Sure to educate women on the importance of moving more in their everyday lives. She says, “exercise has been touted to be a cure for so many things in life; from depression to memory loss. A variety of studies warn that sedentary lifestyles are likely to be causing as many deaths as smoking and certain types of cancers but there are incremental changes women can make to their everyday lives that will see their movement increase and thus the benefits that come with that activity.”

To further propel its message, Sure Women this week announces its upcoming partnership with Sport England’s This Girl Can and their shared mission towards inspiring more women to make movement part of their everyday. More exciting news about the partnership will be revealed in 2020.

To find out how to you can move more using the world around you visit – www.suredeodorant.co.uk/yourworldyourworkout.html