Almost all Dutch (92%) consider relaxation important for a healthy life, but almost half (45%) make no attempt to seek relaxation more often. Fatigue, stress and lack of time are the main reasons for not achieving healthy goals in the field of relaxation but also exercise. This is apparent from a study by Kantar, commissioned by Zilveren Kruis.
We almost unanimously agree that regular exercise (80%), a healthy diet (91%), enough relaxation (92%) and a good night's sleep (91%) are essential for a healthy lifestyle. Yet it is not always easy to maintain our healthy ambitions. The contradictions that the Dutch experience as barriers are striking. For example, one in five does not feel fit enough to exercise and thirty percent feels too tired to relax. A healthy life gives energy, but also requires effort. Three in ten Dutch people indicate that they do not get enough relaxation, sleep or healthy food. If we look at sports and exercise, that is more than four tenths (44%).
Striking differences between men and women With a score of 7.2, the Dutch give themselves a more than satisfactory score when it comes to their own health. But when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, we are more self-critical. For example, almost 1 in 4 gives themselves an insufficient level for sufficient exercise and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits is also experienced as very difficult. The figures mainly show that women find the latter difficult, almost half of the women (45%) have difficulty maintaining sufficient exercise compared to almost a third (31%) of the men. If we look at sufficient sleep, 28 percent of women have difficulty with this, compared to 18 percent of men. Women therefore generally experience more barriers, such as fatigue, stress, lack of time and housekeeping, to work on a healthy lifestyle than men.
Small changes, healthy effect
In addition to stress, fatigue or motivation problems, there are also external factors that make a healthier lifestyle more difficult. Lack of time due to work, but also a busy schedule or the weather are barriers for many Dutch people to achieve healthy goals. While you can also work on a healthy lifestyle at work or at home with small changes.
