Brits at Risk of Becoming Layabouts

87% now see gym membership as a luxury

Almost nine in ten (87%) of Britons now see gym membership as a luxury, according to research published today by Callcredit Marketing Solutions. The survey shows that cash-strapped Britons are shunning active pastimes for a more sedentary lifestyle and choosing cheaper leisure activities which involve no physical movement, such as watching TV or surfing the internet.

Almost three quarters (74%) of respondents consider broadband access a necessity to their lifestyle. This thirst for technology continues with 75% of consumers saying their mobile phone is essential, and almost a quarter (23%) saying that paid for TV and games consoles are necessities. On the flipside, 86% say that paid for sports and leisure activities are an added luxury to their daily lives.

The YouGov survey of 2,500 representative UK consumers also shows that physical activity is further under threat by car ownership: 75% consider their car necessary for their lifestyle. This figure is highest in the South East with 82% saying they need one, with the exception of London where only 53% consider a car to be a necessity.

Caroline Worboys, MD of Callcredit Marketing Solutions, says:
"British people work the longest hours in Europe and it is worrying that activities essential to our physical and mental wellbeing might be losing favour. We can only hope that consumers are looking to relax with cheaper alternatives that don't break the bank."

"The financial situation has prompted people to rethink what they really need in life, but it's not surprising that those products that make our lives easier are considered necessities and are likely to stay."