If life is getting you down it is time to head to the gym! The findings of a new lifestyle survey which examines the health of Cork shows a whopping 95.5% of residents find exercise relieves stress. The survey, conducted on behalf of leading health and fitness club énergie Fitness Cork, also shows that 52% of Corkonians occasionally suffer from stress with 27% suffering “quite often.” Results would suggest that getting your adrenaline pumping would go a long way to decreasing these numbers.

“For people in Cork, it is quite clear that fitness levels play a key role in shaping their quality of life,” says Neil Allister, Manager of énergie Fitness Cork in Mahon. “The fact that the overwhelming majority of those surveyed use fitness to relieve the stress of their daily lives shows the benefit of a fitness regime for mental health.  Three 30-minute fitness sessions per week is all you need to reap the rewards— in total that’s just 1% of your whole week!”

But what activities do Cork people prefer once they arrive at the gym? énergie’s study reveals that cardiovascular training is the most popular form of training amongst people in the Rebel County with 70% of respondents citing cardio ahead of its nearest rivals: strength and conditioning at 49.5% and toning at 43.5%. Meanwhile, 60% of people in Cork join health clubs for the purpose of getting fitter—a number much higher than those joining to look better (38%) or lose weight (42%).

Of those questioned, 32.5% said they exercised an impressive three to four times a week, while 31% admitted that they exercised between two and three times a week.  A healthy lifestyle was also reflected in Cork’s eating habits when 41% of Leesiders told researchers that they have a balanced diet, while 36% of respondents described their diet as “pretty healthy.”

Furthermore, 60% of respondents say that work commitments prevent them from working out as often as they’d like, with lack of motivation being the reason for 24% and family commitments for a further 23%. Allister remarks: “The survey certainly proves that most Corkonians strive to lead healthy lives and we are glad to be here to help them on their mission.”

énergie Fitness Cork surveyed 250 people in Cork, aged from 18 – 64 with 73% of respondents aged between 25 and 44.

For more information on énergie Fitness Cork at Mahon Point, visit their website: www.energiefitness.ie/cork or Tel: (021) 6019231. An info graph conveying the survey results can be found below.