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Majority of women change behaviour getting active outdoors in winter

New research from This Girl Can highlights the impact of safety concerns during the darker months on women's ability to get active.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of women in the UK change their outdoor activity routines during winter, according to data we've released yesterday.

The new research, commissioned by our This Girl Can campaign, highlights the precautions women are taking to stay safe when getting active outdoors after the clocks have gone back.

One in four (24%) ensure to take well-lit routes, almost a quarter (23%) avoid certain areas altogether and one in five (20%) glance behind them to ensure they’re not being followed.

Runners pose with Let's Lift the Curfew signs in front of glow-in-the-dark footprints at night in Manchester

A similar study last year found under half (46%) of women were changing their outdoor activity routines during the darker months, indicating a rise in safety concerns and the impact of shorter daylight hours on women's ability to get active as winter approaches.

Returning for a second year, This Girl Can’s Let’s Lift the Curfew movement challenges the idea of a curfew during winter months which prevents women getting out and enjoying getting active.

To mark the onset of the curfew after the official end of summertime on Sunday (27 October), hundreds of runners took to the streets as part of Let’s Lift the Curfew runs across the country.

From Southampton to Durham, more than 100 runs symbolised a collective effort to defy the restrictions women feel during the darker months and demand urgent change to tackle women’s safety fears. 

A flagship run in Manchester featured a glow-in-the-dark display of UV-lit footsteps which lit up the ground with words such as 'vulnerable', 'anxious' and 'afraid', spotlighting the feelings women experience when getting active outdoors after the clocks go back.

Click here for the full press release

 

Channel website: http://www.sportengland.org/

Original article link: https://www.sportengland.org/news-and-inspiration/majority-women-change-behaviour-getting-active-outdoors-winter

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