Nearly half of Spaniards never get any exercise, according to EU-wide survey

NEARLY half of all Spaniards never do anything ‘physically demanding’, according to an EU-wide survey published this week.

The study, published by Eurobarometer, revealed that 49% of Spaniards claim to never take part in physical activities, such as gardening, cycling or dancing.

This puts Spain considerably above the EU average of 30%, and below only five other countries – Portugal, where 60% of the population admitted to getting no exercise, Malta and Cyprus, both with 57%, Bulgaria and Italy, with 51% and 50% respectively.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Scandinavian countries are the most active, with 15% of Finns, 14% of Danes, and only 9% of Swedes admitting to never getting any exercise.

But the Spanish habit of a daily stroll is paying off, as 76% of the population are ‘likely to walk for 10 minutes of more at least four days a week’, topped only by Bulgaria, with 77%.