Only 6% of Romanians exercise regularly

Although sports activities play an important role in people’s lives, only 6% of Romanians exercise regularly while 61% don’t practice any sport, and 18% rarely work out, according to a study from Benefit Seven, a company that provides sports and wellness subscriptions for employees. Meanwhile, only 3 to 5% of the companies in Romania offer employees subscriptions to sports centers, reports local Mediafax. Most of them are active in areas such as IT, telecom, pharma, media, and communication. On a market estimated at EUR 223 million in 2015, the frequency of practicing physical activities has increased in recent years, and so did the value of the fitness market. A Romanian was spending an average of EUR 11 on sports activities last year, more than double the amount spent in 2012 (EUR 5). “The Romanian fitness market grows by 25% annually, on average, even if a similar percentage is not taxed, representing the grey market,” said Andrei Cretu, co-founder Benefit Seven. Almost 60% of companies have signed a partnership with a provider of sports services, facilitating the employees' access to sports for a fee negotiated at the group level. Many of the companies are from the banking sector, retail, and automotive sectors. Over 15% of them are Romanian companies, and 40% of them are also active outside Bucharest. Bill in Romania: VAT on sport and fitness services to be cut from 20% to 9% More Romanians want to have a healthy lifestyle, study shows Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com