February 12th, 2024, Janice Fernandes
A recent YouGov survey revealed that health and wealth are the top New Year’s resolutions for Brits in 2024. So, what kind of health routines do Britons regularly follow and what are they planning to start doing in the next months?
Current self-care routines
Polling data shows that the most common self-care routine is eating and drinking healthily, with 52% of all UK adults reporting that they regularly incorporate this habit into their lives. Notably, the 55+ age group contains a higher proportion of people (58%) who regularly eat and drink healthily compared to other age brackets.
Engaging in regular exercise closely follows, with 45% of respondents indicating its regular inclusion in their routines. The 18-24 age group takes the lead (49%), but the 55+ age group is not far behind (46%).
Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule secures the third spot, with 36% of respondents prioritizing this aspect of well-being. A regular skincare routine completes the top four, with 34% practicing it.
The survey reveals that scheduling regular health checkups is among the least common self-care routines, with only 14% of all respondents reporting regular follow up. As you’d expect, the 55+ age group exhibits the highest percentage in this category.
Additionally, fewer than one in ten UK adults say they practice meditation (8%). It’s more popular among younger people, particularly the 18-24 (11%) and 25-34 (12%) groups.
Future self-care plans
Looking ahead, the survey asked respondents about their intentions to start new self-care activities in the next two months.
Eating and drinking healthily remains a priority, with 18% of respondents planning to incorporate this habit in the near future.
An identical share of consumers aim to introduce regular exercise to their routines (18%), with the 18-24 and 35-44 age groups showing a slightly higher inclination toward this (22% each).
Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule also stands out as a future self-care priority, with 16% of respondents intending to implement this practice. Notably, the 27% figure for the 18-24 age group indicates a growing perception of the importance of sleep among younger individuals, paralleled by the 25% of 25-34-year-olds.
In contrast, fewer than one in ten UK adults (8%) plan to start a regular skincare routine in the next two months. Additionally, roughly one in 15 individuals express intentions to practice meditation (6%) or schedule regular health checkups (6%).
As the importance of self-care gains recognition, these insights contribute to the ongoing conversation around well-being in today's society.
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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on January 30-31, 2024, with a nationally representative sample of 2,159 adults in the United Kingdom (aged 18+ years), using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, social grade and region to be representative of all adults. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.
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