The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) released the results of the 2023 Physical Activity Survey on Tuesday, revealing a significant increase in the number of people engaging in physical exercise across the city, with Küçükçekmece leading among the 39 districts.
The survey, first conducted in 2020, recorded a physical activity rate of 13.2% at that time, significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Repeated last year, the survey involved face-to-face interviews and home visits with 11,515 individuals aged 18 and over in district centers.
By 2023, the physical activity rate had risen to 35.3%, marking a 21.7% increase over four years. Those who reported “engaging in sports or exercise” increased to 34.9%, up from 29.6% in 2022, indicating a 5.3% rise in just one year.
The report highlights that 33.7% of women and 36.1% of men are physically active. The percentage of individuals exercising for more than 150 minutes per week quadrupled from 11.7% in 2022 to 38.7% in 2023.
The survey, detailing physical activity habits by gender, age, and education level, found that walking for exercise is the most popular activity, followed by fitness, swimming, running, football, yoga and Pilates.
Küçükçekmece emerged as the district with the highest physical activity rate at 47.7%, followed by Usküdar at 47.3% and Sultanbeyli at 44.9%. Esenler had the lowest rate at 16.2%, with Güngören and Çatalca following at 21.7% and 21.9%, respectively.
When asked about their reasons for exercising, 58.5% of respondents cited “feeling more energetic,” 37.1% mentioned “improving physical appearance,” and 30.1% noted “health issues.” Additionally, 25.2% of those who exercise do so for “fun” and to “relieve stress.”
Regarding exercise preferences, 48% of Istanbul residents said they walk for exercise, 22.3% engage in fitness activities, and 22.1% participate in recreational walking. Among women, 53.2% prefer walking, while only 1.7% engage in table tennis. For men, 43.1% favor walking for exercise, with just 0.7% participating in yoga and Pilates.
When asked where they most frequently engage in physical activities, 48.8% of city residents mentioned parks and open spaces, followed by 44.7% who use sports centers and 30.3% who exercise in the streets. Young adults aged 18-24 are particularly active in fitness centers, with 33.7% of them reporting fitness activities.
For those not participating in regular physical activity, the most common reason was “lack of time,” cited by 57.5%. Health issues prevented 16.6%, and 15.7% showed no interest in physical activity.
When asked which physical activity they would choose if given the opportunity, 37.1% of respondents selected “swimming,” followed by 26.2% who preferred walking for exercise and 20.6% who favored working out in a fitness center.
