Analyst: Almost Half Slovaks Over 16 Exercise for More Than Five Hours a Week

Bratislava, August 14 (TASR) - Almost half Slovaks aged over 16 exercise for more than five hours a week, and almost two-thirds undertake regular exercise, according to data from the European statistical office Eurostat reported by Lenka Buchlakova, an economic analyst from FinGO.sk. According to Eurostat, Slovaks choose mainly outdoor activities to exercise. "In the 'pre-coronvirus' era, Slovaks were often active in fitness centres, but last year, they mainly undertook outdoor activities. In the 27 EU countries, about a third exercise for more than five hours a week, while about the same percentage don't exercise at all," said Buchlakova, adding that Slovakia is better than the EU average. The statistics also show that about 23 percent of Slovaks exercise from three to five hours a week, and about a third of people devote up to three hours a week to sport. The data show that increased sport activity also affects health. The health of Slovaks has improved since 2000. For example, the median lifespan now exceeds 77 years. Since the beginning of the century, the median lifespan of Slovaks has increased by 4 years, but it is still less than the EU average. About half of all deaths can be attributed to risk factors from behaviour. According to Buchlakova, the data show that we are one of the few countries with a growing number of obese children and a rising proportion of smokers. Slovakia has a high level of deaths from causes that can be prevented or treated. The analyst also pointed to the small number of nurses. Differences in exercise and life expectancy also appear between men and women. "Women in Slovakia have an average healthy lifespan of 57 years, while men has a little less: 56.4 years," said Buchlakova, adding that the Swedes head the chart with a lifespan in relatively good health of 73 years. mcs/am/ko