When the pandemic hit, many people who had become accustomed to gym workouts or studio classes faced challenges to their pre-existing fitness routines. Suddenly, we all had to turn to home workouts or find ways to exercise during our allotted hour a day outside, to keep fit in the absence of public spaces to do so.
By February 2021, around a year into the pandemic, searches for ‘Couch to 5k’ had surged by a huge 123% compared to the previous year, along with searches for ‘how to start running’, which had risen by 50%. By the following year, however, interest had waned. In-person fitness had returned, and though a Red Bull study published in 2021 revealed that 73% of runners wanted to maintain their training schedule after the pandemic ended, searches for running-related queries had all dropped back to pre-pandemic levels.
Fast forward to now, however, and the UK’s interest in running has steadily risen once again. At the end of 2023, searches for ‘how to get into running’, ‘how to start running’ and ‘running route near me’, for example, have all risen by a further 50%, and colloquially, we’ve seen a huge boom in all things running spurred on by social media platforms like TikTok.
In light of this new data the experts at SportsShoes.com have released their annual Running Report, which reveals interesting insights from a survey of over 2,100 people in the UK, including how many of them are running and the benefits they are experiencing, as well as how many aren’t running and their barriers to taking up the activity.
Highlighting just how many Brits do choose to run regularly (22% of the population run one to three times per week), the report also looked at potential barriers to the activity, including reasons why people might find running intimidating or unsafe.
Shockingly, over a quarter of the population (26%) think they’re too unfit to run at all, a statistic that highlights the UK’s overall feeling towards their fitness levels. Taking part in fitness-based activities is key to feeling fitter, as well as promoting better cardiovascular health, which is crucial to preventing disease and other conditions.
Over half of the population (56%) run once every six months, once a year, or never. For a third of these people (33%), it’s simply that they don’t enjoy running, for almost a quarter (24%) it’s health conditions stopping them, and for 14% it’s injuries. But sadly, one in 10 of these individuals said it’s because they think they’re too overweight to run, and another one in 10 are too embarrassed for others to see them run.
SportsShoes spoke to Hollie Maskell, a chartered musculoskeletal therapist, and Ben Mounsey, a SportsShoes ambassador and runner with over 30 years of running experience under his belt, and to get their advice for anyone who wants to get into running but is worried about being too unfit:
“Anyone can become ‘fit’ at running! It’s about building up the miles in your legs slowly and building your cardiovascular fitness over time. In fact, running slowly is actually very beneficial, rather than running really fast, as it reduces the risk of becoming injured. Start small, and gradually increase your goals – it’s not a race,” Hollie said in a press release.
Ben’s Top Tips to Boost Confidence When Running:
1. Set realistic goals
Set achievable goals tailored to your fitness level. Make the goals small and attainable so that you can feel a sense of success. You can gradually build up the level of the challenge as your confidence grows.
2. Ensure you have good running gear
Well-fitting running gear will help to make you feel comfortable and confident and may even encourage you to work out. A good pair of running trainers will also prevent injury so you can continue building your running confidence without delays.
3. Find a running buddy and start in quieter areas
By starting your runs at more peaceful times or in less crowded places, you can build up your confidence until you’re ready to tackle bigger groups. Finding a running buddy is also a great idea here, as they’ll provide camaraderie and take your mind off your insecurities while keeping you accountable.
4. Progress, not perfection
Focus on your health and well-being rather than your body image. Every step is a step in the right direction, so take it a day at a time and celebrate small wins. Keep a running journal so you can track your progress and see the positive impact you’re making over time.
5. Seek professional guidance
If you’re concerned about your weight and how that may affect your running, it may be worth consulting a nutritionist or personal trainer who can help you build a diet and workout plan to achieve your goals.
Ben also offered his top tips on how to stick to running: “Whether it’s running your first 5k, achieving a new half marathon PB or losing weight, challenge yourself with a 2024 milestone that works for your aims. Focusing on your ultimate goals will help structure your running and will give you that extra bit of willpower to keep going when the going gets tough. Keep your target realistic and set small achievable interim goals to keep up your motivation.”
“Make training sessions an ingrained part of your lifestyle or social activity by running with friends, joining a running club, or even making park run a regular Saturday morning fixture,” he added.
Safety While Running
The research also revealed that 7% of people who don’t run avoid doing so because they’re worried about their safety. Of these, 86% were female, with males 26% more likely than females to run when it’s darker in the evenings.
SportsShoes partnered with GB Runner and SportsShoes Ambassador Eleanor Bolton to reveal methods women can use to increase their safety while running.
“For the modern runner, a smartwatch or fitness tracker is a vital piece of kit, enabling us to track our performance and reach our fitness goals. However, there are several tracking features, like emergency notifications, live tracking, and route planning, that are rarely utilized yet are essential when it comes to keeping ourselves safe whilst running,” she said.
“Firstly, setting up emergency notifications (feature name will vary across devices) means your watch will notify your emergency contacts if you need help or have a medical emergency. Then there is live tracking, a feature that notifies your connections when you set off on a run, enables them to see the course that you have planned and tracks your current location. Finally, I would also recommend planning and uploading a route to your smartwatch. Not only is this a great way of finding new running routes, but also means you can tailor your run, so you stick to safe, well-lit streets and don’t get lost in unfamiliar areas,” she added.
For those looking for a way to incorporate a regular fitness routine into their daily lives without breaking the bank, running is a great form of exercise to consider. Dan Cartner, Head of Marketing at SportsShoes.com shared more on this.
“Running is certainly not the only way to get your fitness in, but it’s one of, if not the most, accessible and low-cost sports to engage in as a way to feel fitter in everyday life. By running this research, we hoped to find out what the biggest barriers are for people who wish they ran more, but don’t do so, and shine a light on what’s stopping the nation from feeling their fittest. We hope it can be a way to start that conversation, and that the tips from our experts Hollie and Ben can help give someone the confidence boost they need to lace up a pair of trainers and get outdoors,” he said.
For more info on the full research including gender breakdown, generational attitudes toward running, and advice from the experts, head over to SportsShoes.com.
