- Brand new research has found that Asda Supercentres are the best supermarkets in the UK for an additional boost of daily exercise
- Based on six factors- including size, product range and queuing time – Iceland and Tesco Extra completed the top three
- You could expect to walk up to 506 steps in the average Asda Supercentre visit
- An accompanying survey found that one in three people’s only form of exercise during lockdown is going to the supermarket
From Shopping to Exercise: Sweatband's Study Identifies Best Supermarkets for Physical Activity.
The research was conducted by the team behind sports and fitness equipment specialists www.Sweatband.com, who looked at the UK’s most popular supermarkets to find which one is the best for exercise. Six different factors were taken into consideration, including average size, queuing time, product range, trolley fill, store layout and staff availability.
Alongside the research, a survey of more than 2,100 UK adults was conducted, which revealed that as many as one in three people’s (32%) only form of daily exercise was going to the supermarket.
A further 48% said that going to the supermarket was their only form of human interaction, while one in five (21%) go to the grocery store purely for something to do.
Looking at the six different factors, Asda Supercentres were found to be the best supermarket in the UK for exercise, with a score of 7.2 out of 10. The top five is as follows:
- Asda Supercentre – 7.2 (average score out of 10)
- Iceland – 7.0
- Tesco Extra – 6.8
- Asda Superstore – 6.7
- Tesco Superstore – 6.3
The worst supermarket to visit if you are looking to get your daily exercise was found to be Marks & Spencer Simply Food, which scored a measly 3.2 out of 10.
In the battle of the budget stores, Lidl came out on top vs. Aldi, with a score of 5.7 to 5.5, largely owing to its bigger size and greater product range.
Working out the number of steps one could hope to achieve by walking around the whole store, the average Asda Supercentre or Marks & Spencer Large would see you walking up to 506 steps, with Tesco Extra (392 steps) and Waitrose Food & Home (372 steps) coming next.
Commenting on the study, Ruth Stone, consultant PT and www.Sweatband.com ambassador, said:
“While this study is a little bit tongue-in-cheek, it was alarming to find that going to the supermarket is many people’s only form of daily exercise. It’s so important to keep active, particularly in lockdown, even if that only means taking 10 minutes out of your day to walk around the park.”
