One in two people feel less stressed; one in four people feel more socially active and productive at work after walking, reveals Max Bupa Walk for Health Survey 2013

mprovement in overall health is a key reason for Mumbai to walk Better digestion is a motivator for Delhi to walk Health concerns like blood pressure and heart problems are primary reasons for Bangalore to walk

Key findings:

• One fourth of Indians do not exercise
• Better health is the primary reason for people to walk
• Long office hours, lack of walking space and excessive traffic are some of the key barriers to walking
• Regular walkers in Urban India actively use walking apps to track their movement

October 11, 2013: Max Bupa Walk for Health Survey 2013, a first of its kind study on walking behaviour of people in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore has revealed that one fourth of the Indians do not exercise and out of 75% of those who do, 56% prefer walking over running, swimming and gymming.

The survey reiterates the multiple health benefits of a simple exercise like walking that Max Bupa has taken upon itself to drive across the country through its first of its kind health initiative, Max Bupa Walk for Health. The initiative aims to encourage people to integrate walking into their daily schedule. Buoyed by the participation of more than 18,000 people in Max Bupa Walk for Health 2012, the second edition of Max Bupa Walk for Health is scheduled for October 20 this year in Delhi and Mumbai.

According to the survey, 42% of the total respondents across the three cities expressed the desire to remain healthy, 34% cited health conditions like blood pressure and heart problems as key reasons to take up walking, while 24% started walking after doctor’s advice. Improved lifestyle also served as a key motivator for 40% of the respondents to walk. In general, women prefer to walk with partners while men prefer to walk alone. 52% women preferred to walk with partners as it allowed them to spend quality time together. However, 70% men confessed their preference to walk with partners is a source of motivation to walk.

Amongst the key benefits of walking, 53% respondents agreed to experience decrease in stress and 41% vouched for improvement in their blood pressure.

Long office hours surfaced as one of the key barriers for not taking up walking as an exercise. 18% of respondents expressed fear of safety and security, 15% cite lack of walking area in the vicinity and 14% cited traffic as the key barrier for walking. Also, 19% of the respondents said they prefer spending time with the family rather than walking.

Manasije Mishra, Chief Executive Officer, Max Bupa said, “Max Bupa Walk for Health Survey is an insight into people’s attitude towards walking and shows that regular walking induces positive social and behavioral change among people. It also enhances their productivity and encourages them to lead a healthier lifestyle. As committed health partners, we aim to continuously remind people about the multiple benefits of a simple exercise like walking through our Max Bupa Walk for Health initiative.”

“Walking is the simplest and most accessible form of physical exercise. Just 30 minutes a day significantly reduces the risk of dreaded life style diseases. The Max Bupa Walk for Health on October 20 in Delhi and Mumbai aims to encourage people to walk every day,” added Sevantika Bhandari, Director –Marketing, Max Bupa

The survey has also revealed interesting insights on how people are increasingly using phone based applications and devices for walking. Interestingly, people in Delhi (50%) and Bangalore (49%) were found to be more tech savvy than people in Mumbai (44%). In general, younger population between 25-30 years old was found to be the most tech savvy. The tech savvy people are more health aware and spend time watching health related content on channels (61%), searching for health tips and information online (64%).

It has emerged from the survey that 80% respondents in Delhi who were regular walkers are more health conscious and possess health insurance. These policy holders are also more health aware and undergo regular preventive health checkups. 36% of them regularly get their blood pressure levels checked and 32% get frequent blood tests done.

Note to the editors:
About Max Bupa Walk for Health Survey
Max Bupa Walk for Health Survey 2013 is a study of walking behaviour of people in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The survey was conducted by Nielsen in August and September 2013, reached out to 750 adults aged between 25- 55 years. The survey looks at key parameters like walking patterns, attitudes, benefits, barriers and also how walking behaviour varies with gender.

About Max Bupa Health Insurance
Max Bupa Health Insurance is a, 74:26, joint venture between Max India Limited, a multi-business corporate with expertise in life insurance and health care and Bupa, a leading international healthcare provider with 65 years of healthcare knowledge. Max Bupa brings together a combination of Bupa’s global health insurance expertise and customer service expertise with Max India’s understanding and experience of the Indian health and insurance sectors. Max Bupa offers quality health insurance services through a dedicated team of over 1000 people and its network of 21 offices across 13 cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Surat, Kochi, Kolkata and Patna. Max Bupa offers individual and family oriented health insurance policies for Indians across all age groups.

Strong Network of 2000 hospitals
Max Bupa Health Insurance has a direct working relationship with a network over 2000 top quality hospitals and healthcare providers and at the same time the company plans to extend its network of hospitals to other parts of the country. Max Bupa services customers directly without third party involvement. For more details about the company and a list of all our network hospitals please visit www.maxbupa.com.

About Max India

Max India is a multi-business corporate, driven by the spirit of enterprise and focused on people and service oriented businesses. TheCompany’s vision is to be one of India’s most admired corporates for Service Excellence.

Max India is in the ‘Business of Life’. It ‘Protects Life’ through its Life Insurance company Max Life Insurance (Previously Max New York Life), a joint venture of Max India which underwent a change of JV partner from New York Life to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, Japan; ‘Cares for Life’ through its Healthcare company, Max Healthcare, a joint venture between Max India and Life Healthcare, South Africa; ‘Enhances Life’ through its Health Insurance company, Max Bupa Health Insurance, a joint venture between Max India and Bupa Finance Plc., UK; ’Rejuvenates Life’ through its Senior Living business Antara, a fully owned subsidiary of Max India and ‘Improves Life’ through its Clinical Research business, Max Neeman, a fully owned subsidiary of Max India. The Group also continues its interest in manufacture of Speciality Products for the packaging industry through its SBU Max Speciality Films.

These businesses are high growth yet under penetrated sectors, which will continue to benefit from India’s demographic dividend and increasing purchasing power. Max India’s financial performance reflects this potential. TheGroup earned a consolidated revenue of Rs 106 billion (Approx USD 1.9 billion##) FY2013 and has a strong treasury corpus of around Rs 4.0 billion (USD 73 million).

Supported by nearly 5.7 million strong customer base, each business has developed strong brands and a commanding presence in its respective sector. The Group has around 300 offices across India and people strength of 60,000 persons.

Max India is a publically listed company. It is listed on both national exchanges in India, The Bombay Stock Exchange and The National Stock Exchange. The largest shareholding is of the owner sponsors, led by Mr. Analjit Singh, at over 39 per cent. Other significant shareholders include some of world’s most prestigious financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, International Finance Corporation, Washington (IFC), Temasek Holdings and till recently, Warburg Pincus.

About Bupa: 65 years of Health and Care

Bupa’s purpose is to help people lead longer, healthier, happier lives. Established in 1947, it has over 11.3 million customers in more than 190 countries. Employing over 52,000 people, Bupa has operations around the world, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, New Zealand and the USA, as well as Hong Kong, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, India, China and across Latin America. A leading international healthcare group, Bupa offers personal and company health insurance, runs care homes for older people and hospitals, and provides workplace health services, health assessments and chronic disease management services, including health coaching, and home healthcare. With no shareholders, Bupa invests its profits to provide more and better healthcare and is committed to making quality, patient-centred, affordable healthcare more accessible in the areas of wellness, chronic disease management and ageing.