UK Rocket League analyst and former coach Gregan is an advocate of physical exercise
Gamers in the UK and US are 37% more likely to exercise at least once a week compared to non-gamers, according to a new study.
YouGov made the findings via its YouGov Profiles tool, which continuously collects data from rolling surveys.
48% of British gamers say they exercise anywhere between once a day and once a week, compared to 35% of non-gamers.
And in the US, 56% of gamers say they workout that frequently compared to 41% of non-gamers.
While these findings may be surprising, the percentages aren’t too dissimilar, and there are other factors to consider. For example, gamers tend to be a younger demographic, and younger people – in general – may be more able to exercise than older demographics. And with how things have changed following Covid, more people are now working from home and that may have changed their exercise habits.
On specific demographics, YouGov said in its report on the link between gaming and exercise: “Looking specifically at millennial and Gen Z gamers in Britain, they remain likelier than non-gamers from those generations to say they exercise regularly (55% vs 45%).
“A similar pattern is seen in the US, where nearly two-thirds of gamers from younger generations say they work out regularly (64%) compared to just 45% of non-gamers from the Gen Z and millennial brackets.”
In both the US (9% of gamers vs 2% of non-gamers) and in Britain (11% vs 1%), gamers are far likelier than their non-gaming compatriots to have an exercise class subscription pass.
Other recent YouGov reports found that 4% of Brits are interested in betting on esports, and esports fans in the UK are warming to cryptocurrency.
Other gamer exercise stats from YouGov
- About one in eight UK gamers have a gym membership (13%)
- A fifth of American gamers say they have a gym membership (20% vs 13% of non-gamers)
- A tenth of gamers have a class subscription pass (11%)
- A tenth also have engaged with a sports club or league (10%)
- A smaller slice of British gamers (7%) say they have a paid subscription to an online or at home fitness plan
More recent health and fitness esports news
- ‘Interventions are needed’ to improve esports athletes’ quality of sleep and mental health, according to new UK study of student players
- Fortnite players burn the most calories per gaming session
- Esports agency Achieveminds turns to AI to tackle pro player burnout and improve performance
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
