Sport Technology Health
A survey conducted among Japanese who practice sports suggests that around 40% use some type of technology when exercising. Free internet videos are the most popular option.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people had to stop exercising due to the closure of sports clubs and the forced cancellation of events and competitions as a measure to prevent the spread of the disease. However, this caused many people to discover new ways to exercise, such as live videos of fitness clubs with workouts or applications for smartphones, as well as wearable devices.
According to a 2022 survey by the Sasakawa Sports Foundation, around 40% of people aged 20 and over who practiced sports used digital technology or a device during exercise. The most common way of using technology was watching free videos on the internet, an option chosen by 27.4% of women and 22.4% of men. Smartphone health apps, used by 19.0% of women and 14.7% of men, ranked second. On the other hand, less than 10% used smartwatches or other wearable devices, among both men and women.
By age, although more than 40% of people between their twenties and forties did not use any type of technology, this means that more than 50% did. Compared with other age groups, those in their 20s and 30s more frequently played games that involved some form of physical activity. In contrast, people 60 and older used less technology overall. 70.1% of people in their sixties stated that they did not use any type of device. This percentage was 86.6% among people between 70 and 79 years of age.
(Header photo: © Pixta.)
sport Technology Sasakawa Sports Foundation
