Velocity MR a leading market research and analysis company announced the results of their pan India study to understand health and fitness trends among Indians. The study covering a sample size of 3000 and was conducted across Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

The study found that over 80% of people have started to track their fitness regime through various modes. People are using Fitbit, Myyogaonline, Smart Watches, Mobile Applications and other Fitness Bands to track their fitness regime. Apart from hygiene factors like accuracy and user-friendliness, people are also enjoying the apps/tools features in allowing users to compare, sync and share their data with others. People like the recommendations that the apps make concerning work out schedules and even diet to be followed. Networking with other like-minded fitness enthusiasts through these apps is another hot favourite.

Adds Jasal Shah Managing Director & CEO of Velocity MR, “The fitness industry in India is largely an unorganized and fragmented. However, the fitness space is evolving at a rapid pace mirrored by the fact that while ten years ago if at a popular running event you found a 1000 people, today you will find 14,000-15,000 people enthusiastically participating in such events now. Extrapolate this with the GDP growth and rising affluence, and you can conclude why the fitness sector is growing at a fast pace.”

Adds Consultant Vivek Mahadevan who is also a fitness enthusiast, “Awareness around the overarching importance of fitness in people’s lives has gathered steam in the last decade. This can be attributed to factors such as advances in consumer technology like apps, access to information at one’s fingertips through the internet and increase in average household incomes. We can today observe that, like there is heightened awareness levels among patients about various illnesses so is it about the importance of fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle today in India.”

Other Highlights:

Need for Fitness

Over 97% people believe that it is necessary to maintain fitness and the common objectives for fitness are to have a healthy heart, sleep better and be happy.

Frequency of Doing Exercise

It is observed that increase in age is directly proportional to the frequency of exercising. Among the people with monthly household income >=INR 45K, ~85% do exercise at least three times in a week which is only ~70% for those with monthly household income <INR 45K. Interestingly 90% people in Delhi do exercise at least thrice in a week, out of which 80% people exercise Daily. Delhi has the least people (0%) who don’t have a fixed routine, which is significantly lesser than Kolkata (14%), Hyderabad (9%) and Mumbai (6%).

Exercises Done for Maintaining Fitness

It was observed that males follow different methods as opposed to females for maintaining their fitness. It was fund largely that males tend to do Cycling, Training in Gym and Martial Arts while Females engage in Skipping Rope, Dancing and Aerobics.

The younger age groups perform Yoga the least, as compared to the elder age groups but they instead engage in running, cycling and sports activities more than the elder age groups. People with higher monthly household income and SEC follow more diverse methods for maintaining fitness.

Whom Do People Consult for Fitness Guidance?

People with a higher Monthly Household Income (MHI) (>=INR 45K) consult online virtual market Places like Fitness Apps significantly more than the people with less MHI. People with MHI >= INR 75K consult a Personal Trainer significantly more than people with lesser MHI.

Pain Points of Users

On monitoring the pain points faced by people or what was stopping them from regular exercise, it was found that they were majorly related to the availability of time. 3 out of 10 people don’t have a membership in a fitness centre because it was expensive.

It was found that DailyBurn and MapMyRun have significantly higher awareness among Females. People with higher MHI have a higher awareness of different fitness tools, and they use Fitbit, DailyBurn, Apple/Samsung Proprietary Apps and Nike Training Club. While people with lower MHI use Mobile Applications.

It is interesting to note that even though internet apps are borderless, there are city wise preferences for such apps like physical brands/products. People in Delhi use MyYogaOnline the most while people in Mumbai use DailyBurn the most.

Benefits Received from Fitness Gadgets

Females have been able to achieve their exercise goals more as compared to Males.

While people of elder age group have been able to decrease their weight.

Summary

• 80% use mobile apps and gadgets to monitor their health and fitness
• Most people believe that it is necessary to maintain fitness.
• The motivation for maintaining fitness is not about the style/trend, but people want to be healthy, energetic and want to take care of their body.
• It is seen that 7 out of 10 people who exercise are doing it daily, it is also observed that frequency of doing exercise is higher in elder people as compared to the younger ones.
• Traditional exercises like Walking, Jogging and Yoga are done more than the Fitness activities like Zumba, Power walking etc.; the reason could be a shortage of time as well as money because of which ~50% people do not have a membership at a fitness centre.
• Maximum people exercise either at home or near-by gardens.
• For taking any fitness related decisions, people consult fitness trainers and friends/family members the most; while there are also >30% people who have faith in the virtual mode of consulting, and hence they consult either Google or Fitness Apps the most.

About Velocity

Velocity is a tech-savvy insights provider with a Global Presence, providing Proprietary Panels, Real web-based CATI, a Strong Field Force, Responsive Client Servicing capabilities and is armed with Unparalleled Research Capabilities. Velocity is today one of the youngest and highly tech-oriented Research Company globally. In a world where unstructured data is flowing in all directions, understanding distinctive consumer behaviour towards brands is getting tougher and tougher. The company supported by Cross Marketing Inc. Tokyo has some of the finest brains in the industry along with the best available technology platforms to deliver world-class research solutions to clients. The integration of technology coupled with high-quality data imparts speed, hence providing a ‘Quick turnaround time’ in collating, analyzing and interpreting research data.

www.velocitymr.com

The post 80% people use fitness apps to track exercise – Velocity MR study appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

Writes, Dr Rajeev K Sharma, Senior Consultant, Orthopedics & Joint Replacement Surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi.

Bones form the skeletal structure of our bodies and play a number of functions to keep its functioning normal. From protecting the internal organs like heart and lungs and ribs, to enabling a base structure for muscles and ligaments to storing reserve minerals in the body, the bones play multiple roles in human functioning.

Much like all other parts of the body, bones too are affected by the weakening process of ageing. Weakening bones and muscles are a major cause of trouble in the elderly. Weakening bones not only make them susceptible to fractures, they also restrict movement and degrade quality of life.

Besides consumption of a bone-friendly diet, exercising is absolutely crucial to maintain bone health in the long run. Since bone is a living tissue, it becomes stronger when subjected to exercise. Loss of bone mineral density that begins during the 30s can be prevented by exercising regularly. People who exercise are found to have greater peak bone mass as compared to people who do not exercise. But, not all kinds of exercises help strengthen the bones. Weight bearing exercises are ideal for the bones.

What is bone loss?

Bones are composed of protein matrix and minerals, calcium being the most important of all. In the 30s, our bones reach their maximum level of density. Some of the mineral from our bones is regularly lost and built. After we reach the peak bone density, the rate of bone loss becomes higher than the rate of bone regeneration. This is why the bones start losing calcium and other minerals.

When the bone density becomes too low, the bones are characterized to become weak. This phenomenon is known as osteoporosis. Osteoporotic bones are more prone to fracture with minor trauma in elderly patient.

Bone Building Exercises

Understandably the higher the peak bone density the lesser the chances of a person acquiring osteoporosis at a later stage.  We can therefore prevent bone loss with regular exercise. Exercise not only strengthens our bones but also strengthens the muscles that support the bones and the joints.

Two forms of exercises are particularly important for building bone density and maintaining bone health:

Weight-bearing Exercises

Weight bearing exercises are ideal for the bones. They put extra stress on the bones catalyzing them to respond by building their strength. Any activity that forces your body to work against gravity can be called weight bearing. These exercises help build bone strength and achieve a higher peak bone density. However, the intensity of weight bearing exercises should be decided according to the body’s strength and capability. Also, the intensity should always be gradually increased.

• Weight training: This involves lifting heavy weight and should be done by absolutely healthy people. It not only builds muscle but also increasesbone health and density. Men and women who start such exercise in their 20s will be fitter and stronger than their counterparts who failed to do so. They will also have higher peak bone density in their 30s.
• Hiking: If you are an adventure lover, go ahead and indulge heavily in hiking, trekking and mountaineering. This will not only fulfill your penchant for fun but also help build your bones.
• Dancing & aerobics: For those who have a dancer’s foot, there is nothing better than dancing out every day. Pleasurably as it may be, it will also be extremely good for your bones and muscles. You may also take to aerobics.
• Running: Running is a good exercise for several reasons. It helps manage weight, it helps keep the heart in good health, and it also strengthens bones and muscles. Run a few kilometers every day and chances are you will be fit enough to run even when many of your contemporaries will find walking tough.
• Climbing stairs: This is another healthy way to strengthen bones and muscles and build stamina. Shunning elevators and climbing stairs every day is a life-long healthy exercise.

• Brisk walking: For those who are not fit enough to perform any of the above due to health or other reasons must certainly do brisk walking for 30 minutes every day. This is a low impact weight bearing exercise but has good effect on bones.

Posture & Muscle Strengthening Exercises:

While weight bearing exercises strengthen bones, there are other ways to strengthen muscles and prevent pain and problems arising out of posture related issues.

• Yoga: Yoga helps in balancing the body and making it more flexible. In the long run, this prevents injuries to ligaments and muscles.
• Posture exercises: If you spend hours every day crouched in a chair in front of a computer, chances are high for your spine to injure itself. Posture exercises that help correct drooping shoulders, relieve a crouched back, and straighten the neck keep the spine bones healthy.
• Body Balancing: Body balancing is also crucial; especially in older people as it helps improve the equilibrium and balance of the body preventing falls and fractures.

The post Exercise for Strong Bones: Bone Building Exercises Crucial for life-long health appeared first on Core Sector Communique.