Finns overestimate how much they exercise, study finds

Finns believe they are more physically active than they are, according to a new study by the UKK Institute, reported by Yle. Activity monitors showed that participants were no more active than people in a similar study four years earlier, despite reporting more exercise in surveys.

In the latest survey, 41 per cent of working-age adults said they met weekly physical activity recommendations, up from 27 per cent four years ago. But measurements showed that activity had not increased. Instead, more movement took place during evening leisure time, while activity during working hours and, to some extent, commutes had declined, said Tommi Vasankari, director of the UKK Institute.

Vasankari said evening exercise may not be enough to meet recommendations if people move very little during the workday and their commute. The institute recommends adults aged 18 to 64 get at least two and a half hours of moderate activity, or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity, each week, as well as strength training twice a week. It also advises light movement as often as possible and breaks from sitting.

Juho Suortti, 41, said working remotely meant he spent his days looking at a screen and got no everyday exercise unless he made a conscious effort. His weight rose by 20 kilograms over a couple of years during the coronavirus pandemic.

Four years ago, Suortti decided to change his habits. He started with more walking, taking the stairs and adding vegetables to his meals. He now makes movement part of his routine and goes out to exercise after work. He began running last spring and has since taken part in a marathon.

Suortti said the changes had improved how he felt physically and mentally. He said he had more energy and confidence, and that his body no longer ached.

Vasankari said declining activity at work and in daily life had been a concern for years. He warned that accumulating problems with weight, physical function and fitness could make it harder for people to remain healthy and able to work as they get older. Even people in the most active tenth of the study took about 550 fewer steps a day than participants in the earlier study.

The decline in everyday movement is particularly concerning for people who are least active, the study’s findings said.