Japanese women in 30s, 40s not as physically active: gov't survey

Japanese women in their 30s and 40s have shown a declining trend in physical fitness over the past 25 years, according to a government survey released on Sunday. Conducted by the Japan Sports Agency, the survey revealed that women in this age range were less likely to belong to sports clubs and exercised at least once a week less frequently.

Analysts suggest that time and financial constraints may prevent some women from exercising, despite their desire to do so, as they struggle to balance work, household responsibilities, and child-rearing in a society that increasingly empowers women. The annual physical fitness survey, conducted since 1964, assesses the public's basic fitness and motor skills, with the current set of tests in use since 1998.

The most recent survey, conducted between May and October 2024, involved approximately 60,000 participants. The 2024 survey, using 2001 as the baseline, showed that women in their 30s had a total physical fitness score of 96.3% and those in their 40s had a score of 93.6%, both figures lower than in 2001. The share of women in their 30s who exercised weekly declined from around 40% to 30%, while for women in their 40s, the rate fell from the high 40% to the low 40%.

According to Noriko Sekine, a professor of exercise physiology at the Open University of Japan, the gender gap in physical fitness may be due to women bearing a heavier burden of housework and child-rearing than men, and women living alone may have insufficient income for sports club memberships.