Men take greater risks in sports

Men are more likely to seek physical boundaries than womenn

27.12.2012

In sports, men are more likely to go to their physical limits than women - this is the result of the current representative study „Exercise and health - the big TK sports report“, which the forsa Society for Social Research and Statistical Analysis carried out on behalf of Techniker Krankenkasse (TK).

According to the study, every second man (47%) pursues sports activities, „because he likes to challenge himself and enjoys pushing his limits“ - which is true for women only in 38% of the cases. Heiko Schulz, a graduate psychologist at TK, explains this phenomenon above all with increased demands on performance: "What already applies in today's performance-based society does not stop at the leisure sector: only those who really give their all and opt for permanent optimization are considered successful and socially recognized ". Men are often even more competitive and would rather test their limits than women.

For women rather the health in the foreground
Women, on the other hand, would be more aware of their body and more attentive to their health - as reflected in the study's findings: 92% of women are in the limelight, according to the survey, and good looks play a big role: Almost two-thirds of the women surveyed said they were doing sports to lose weight or hook their weight. However, this aspect is not unimportant for the men - after all, 54% of the men said that they use the sport to prevent weight problems.

Men injured more often than women
The fact that men are more likely to go to their physical limits, of course, is not entirely without consequences: The study found that 59% of respondents have already slightly injured, one in five (21%) already hard. In the case of women, on the other hand, this looks a little more harmless: Here, as a result of sporting activities, according to the results of the „big TK sports reports“ only 38% already slightly and 15% seriously injured.

Women are quicker to use painkillers
Despite higher injury rates - in the case of impairments, the women are more likely to turn to painkillers in order to be able to exercise faster. For example, one out of every four women (25 percent) has taken pain medication for recovery support in sports, whereas only every fifth man (19 percent) has done so. According to Heiko Schulz, the classic understanding of roles would still apply here: "Illness is still considered a weakness for many men, but those who take medication are sick." Men are often lone fighters. "They think: I can do it alone, I do not need help Behind it
The idea is often strong and invulnerable. "

Thus, another result of the study is not surprising: with a slight injury, 22 percent of men still train twice as many men without the support of analgesics as women (11 percent). For the population-representative survey in September and October 2012, 1,009 German-speaking persons aged 18 and over were interviewed on the subject of "Sport and Health". (Sb)