Sport and Recreation
Scotland has always had strong cultural ties with sport whether it be as the ‘Home of Golf’ or the Tartan Army’s unswerving devotion to the national football team. However, sport in Scotland is, by no means, restricted to the traditional. The country’s natural beauty provides a dramatic backdrop for the recent proliferation of outdoor and adventure activities ranging from sea kayaking on the west coast to snowboarding in the Cairngorms, while Edinburgh boasts the largest indoor climbing arena in the world.
Despite this, many people in Scotland are simply not participating in sport. In fact, the majority of Scottish adults do not get the recommended weekly amount of physical activity. This lack of physical activity plays a significant role in the nation’s poor health increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
It is therefore crucial that the both the barriers and the facilitators to participating in sport and physical activity are identified in order to mitigate the impact that sedentary lifestyles are having on the nation’s health. We have conducted several studies in this area, both qualitative and quantitative, for clients such as the Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council. Our research aims to look beyond the top of mind reasons often given for lack of physical activity, such as not having the time, and explore the possible deeper issues at work.
In 2014, sport will be at the forefront of public awareness in Scotland with the arrival of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This will be an invaluable opportunity to try and introduce sport to those who have previously been reluctant, such as when we conducted research after Rhona Martin’s team took the curling gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics to establish the impact the event had on the sport. It is imperative that the 2014 Commonwealth Games is capitalised upon to help promote, and encourage participation in, sport in Scotland.