40% of Japanese women in their 30s and early 40s don’t exercise at all

About 40% of women in their 30s and early 40s do not exercise at all, according to a Japan Sports Agency survey conducted in 2023, reflecting the fact that women of that age tend to be busy with child rearing or work.

Only about 30% of women in their 30s and around 30% to 40% of those in their 40s said they exercised at least once a week, results of the survey released Sunday show.

The agency said the lack of exercise has likely caused their athletic ability to decline across the board in physical activities ranging from shuttle runs — which measure speed and cardiorespiratory fitness — to bending forward in a seated position, which measures flexibility.