Contents
- Barriers to physical activity statistics: the most common reported obstacles
- Barriers to physical activity statistics by age and health
- Barriers to physical activity statistics for disabled people
- Barriers to physical activity: cost, transport, facilities, and support
- Barriers to physical activity: social, confidence, and motivation barriers
- Sources
Barriers to physical activity statistics: the most common reported obstacles
Reported barriers vary with the population asked and the question used. Some surveys ask adults who fall below activity guidelines why they are not more active; others ask people who want to do more activity what gets in the way. A study of primary-care patients in Brazil focused on leisure-time physical activity. These results describe obstacles named by respondents in their stated groups and periods, rather than one ranking that applies everywhere.
In Scotland in 2024, among adults who did not meet moderate or vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guidelines, 39% said their health was not good enough for them to be more active. Difficulty finding time was reported by 27%, and 16% said they were not interested. Health was the most commonly reported of these reasons, followed by time and interest. The figures apply to adults below the guidelines, not to all adults in Scotland. Source: Scottish Health Survey 2024, section 7.2.6
A separate 2019 cross-sectional study surveyed 779 adults attending primary healthcare units in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná, Brazil. For leisure-time physical activity, 53% reported feeling too tired and 52% reported lack of time. These are findings from patients in 1 municipality, not estimates for Brazil’s general population. The questions and population differ from the Scottish survey, so the percentages should be read within their own settings. Source: Brazilian primary-care study, abstract and methods
| Reported obstacle | Scotland, 2024: adults below MVPA guidelines | Brazil, 2019: primary-care patients |
|---|---|---|
| Health not good enough / feeling too tired | 39% | 53% |
| Difficulty finding time / lack of time | 27% | 52% |
| Not being interested | 16% | Not reported here |
The labels reflect each source’s wording and focus: Scotland reports health not being good enough, while the Brazilian study reports feeling too tired. The table places the observations side by side for orientation; it does not make the groups or measures equivalent. Sources: Scottish Health Survey 2024, section 7.2.6; Brazilian primary-care study, abstract and methods
Barriers to physical activity statistics by age and health
The Scottish findings show that reported obstacles differed between adults aged 16–44 and those aged 65 and over who did not meet MVPA guidelines. Health concerns were reported more often by the older group, while time pressure, cost, lack of a companion, and anticipated enjoyment were reported more often by the younger group. Each comparison concerns a reason named by respondents, not a measure of how much activity they did.
| Reported reason, Scotland 2024 | Adults aged 16–44 | Adults aged 65 and over |
|---|---|---|
| Health not being good enough | 15% | 56% |
| Difficulty finding time | 46% | 7% |
| Physical activity costs too much | 9% | 3% |
| No one to do activity with | 8% | 4% |
| Would not enjoy physical activity | 9% | 4% |
The age pattern is specific to adults who did not meet the guidelines in 2024. In that group, 56% of adults aged 65 and over cited health not being good enough, compared with 15% of those aged 16–44. By contrast, difficulty finding time was cited by 46% of younger adults and 7% of older adults. The other reported reasons in the table also show higher percentages among adults aged 16–44: 9% versus 3% for cost, 8% versus 4% for not having anyone to join them, and 9% versus 4% for expecting not to enjoy activity. These are descriptive age comparisons; they do not explain why the groups differ. Source: Scottish Health Survey 2024, section 7.2.6
Barriers to physical activity statistics for disabled people
Activity Alliance’s 2021–22 survey asked respondents who wanted to be more active which reasons stopped them doing as much sport, exercise, or physical activity as they would like. Among disabled respondents in this group, 78% selected a health condition, impairment, illness, or pain. Other selections included getting older (36%), general lack of motivation (27%), finances or lack of money (22%), and lack of confidence to take part (21%). The base was 721 disabled respondents who wanted to be more active. Source: Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2021–22, Figure 10
Other selected reasons were short-term injury, illness, health condition, or pain (17%); issues relating to COVID-19 (11%); and family commitments (10%). Respondents could select multiple answers, so these percentages are not mutually exclusive and should not be added together. They describe selections within this survey group, not the share of all disabled people in the UK. Source: Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2021–22, Figure 10
The later Activity Alliance survey reported that 46% of disabled people said the increased cost of living had reduced how active they were, while 59% said the cost of activities influenced how they chose to be active. The UK survey included more than 1,000 disabled and 1,000 non-disabled people and was conducted in September–October 2025. The findings come from distinct questions, so they describe related but separate aspects of cost. Source: Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2025–26, key findings
Barriers to physical activity: cost, transport, facilities, and support
Cost appears in both the Scottish age comparisons and Activity Alliance surveys, but the populations and measures differ. In Scotland in 2024, 9% of adults aged 16–44 below MVPA guidelines said physical activity cost too much, compared with 3% of adults aged 65 and over. Among disabled respondents who wanted to be more active in the UK survey fielded in October–December 2021, 22% selected finances or lack of money. The 2025 survey found that 46% of disabled respondents said rising living costs had reduced their activity, while 59% said activity cost influenced their choice of how to be active. The later findings are selected summary results, not detailed breakdowns. Sources: Scottish Health Survey 2024, section 7.2.6; Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2021–22, Figure 10; Activity Alliance survey 2025–26
In the 2021–22 Activity Alliance survey, 9% of disabled respondents who wanted to be more active selected lack of suitable transport or being too far away. A further 8% selected not enough inclusive and accessible facilities, 7% selected lack of support when taking part, and 5% selected lack of equipment availability. These answers describe distinct practical barriers: reaching an activity, finding an accessible setting, getting support during participation, and accessing equipment. Source: Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2021–22, Figure 10
The survey also recorded fear of losing benefits or financial assistance, selected by 9% of disabled respondents who wanted to be more active. Alongside the selections about cost and money, this captures another financial concern respondents named. The figures do not establish what respondents ultimately did, or whether any single barrier prevented activity on its own. Source: Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2021–22, Figure 10
Barriers to physical activity: social, confidence, and motivation barriers
Social and psychological responses appear in the survey results alongside health and practical access. In Scotland, among adults below MVPA guidelines, 16% reported not being interested. For adults aged 16–44, 9% said they would not enjoy physical activity, compared with 4% of adults aged 65 and over; 8% of the younger group and 4% of the older group said they did not have anyone to do activity with. These are separate reported reasons and do not establish that interest, anticipated enjoyment, or companionship caused lower activity. Source: Scottish Health Survey 2024, section 7.2.6
Among disabled respondents who wanted to be more active in the Activity Alliance 2021–22 survey, 27% selected general lack of motivation and 21% selected lack of confidence to take part. For a different question, the report examined 565 disabled respondents whose long-term condition, impairment, illness, or pain stopped them doing as much activity as they wanted. Within that more specific group, 80% said their impairment made it hard to be active, 41% worried about making their impairment worse, and 31% said their impairment made them less confident. These latter percentages concern the subset reporting that their condition or impairment limited desired activity; they should not be generalized to all disabled respondents. Source: Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2021–22, Figure 10 and page 27 narrative accompanying Figure 11
The Brazilian primary-care study also compared reported barriers by whether patients had received physical activity counseling. Lack of time was reported by 45% of counseled patients and 57% of patients who had not been counseled. Injury or disease was reported by 38% of counseled patients and 29% of those not counseled. These are cross-sectional associations, not evidence that counseling caused the differences; the findings apply to sampled primary-care patients in São José dos Pinhais. Source: Brazilian primary-care study, abstract and methods
Sources
- The Scottish Health Survey 2024, volume 1: main report — Physical Activity
- Annual Disability and Activity Survey: 2021-22
- Barriers to physical activity among adults in primary healthcare units in the National Health System: a cross-sectional study in Brazil
- Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2025-26