Yoga and Pilates are the most practised sports in Italy in the last three months, ahead of football and swimming.
Sport as medicine for the mind: well-being is the main driver for Italians, especially the youngest: 64% of people (68% if we consider the under-25s) who exercise to feel mentally well. This is the conclusion of the first edition of Eumetra’s “Sporty People” study, which provides a snapshot of the last three months of the sporting habits of Italians (those who practise sport at least once a week).
In an increasingly complex, fast-paced and chaotic world,” explains Matteo Lucchi, CEO of Eumetra, “physical activity becomes a refuge, an oasis of personal well-being to reconnect with one’s own needs. This trend is also confirmed by the types of activities being practised.
If, until recently, the classic game of five-a-side football with friends was the main form of exercise, at least for men, today the most practised disciplines in Italy are yoga and Pilates (once a week for 12% of the sample), activities that focus on the individual’s psychophysical well-being and even surpass swimming.
The 4 Sports Types
However, the world of sportsmen and women is not a homogeneous universe: the Eumetra study highlights the presence of four different groups of people with well-defined socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics.
- 41% of sportsmen and women can be considered “fanatics”: they are mainly men, in their 40s, living in urban areas, practising different sports several times a week, often sacrificing their lunch break. They pay particular attention to their diet and focus on the competitive aspect of sport and improving performance.
- 17%, mainly young people under 25, consider sport to be synonymous with performance. This group prefers individual disciplines and practices activities driven by passion and the desire to improve.
- 23% fall into the category of “repairers” or, rather, “restorers”. The vast majority of these are women who exercise for weight and health reasons. They are not particularly concerned with their appearance and see sport as a moment of leisure and time for themselves.
- Finally, 20% of people are driven by the simple need to move: this segment is mainly made up of mature people, over 55, who are still active and take up sport to prevent the aches and pains of old age, but also to socialise and share their free time.
The research “Sporty People” allows companies to get to know the people who exercise – albeit at different intensities and with different approaches – and to identify the directions to take in their marketing and communication strategies to maximise their effectiveness.
This syndicated research will go international in 2025, following the first edition in Italy.