A new national survey, the 2023 Voltaren Pain In Movement Study, revealed that 7 in 10 Australians (71.5 per cent) enjoy movement or exercise as it makes them feel better physically, happier, stronger, and healthier, however 63.9 per cent have admitted to avoiding movement or exercise due to pain at some point.
To encourage Australians to move, Voltaren is launching the V-League, endorsed by the National Basketball League (NBL). This brand-new basketball league is reviving the skills of some of the game’s most beloved players and putting them to the test alongside everyday Australians who want to get moving again without the fear of niggling pain or discomfort, thanks to the support of Voltaren. NBL legends, Dave Andersen and Adam Gibson have been recruited to captain each of the teams and are calling on Aussies to join them on court by entering a competition to take part in the first V-League face off.
Inspired to better understand what types of pain are holding Australians back, the study identified that more than half of the time (53.2 per cent) that Australians are in pain, they are experiencing back pain, with muscular pain representing a third of pain. This is impacting people’s daily life by preventing them from exercising (49.2 per cent), stopping them from attending social events (13.7 per cent) or even from spending time with family and friends (12.9 per cent).
The data shows this trend of limiting movement is also continuing to be exacerbated for older Australians, with more than half of people (65.6 per cent) stating that they are moving less as they get older, a habit which has been shown to increase the risk of pain and immobility over time. When asked what type of movement/exercise they enjoy, Australians rated low impact forms of movement such as walking (94.3 per cent) and swimming (27.5 per cent), also indicating that they preferred to exercise outdoors (71 per cent). The research also uncovered that we are a nation of steady turtles (slow and persistent), with most respondents (31.3 per cent) stating that a steady turtle best represented their current level of flexibility/movement.
The growing number of Australians suffering from consistent pain has also been measured, with 6 in 10 people (61.3 per cent) enduring recurring pain in their body, 2 in 10 (21.1 per cent) experiencing pain 2-3 times a week, and only 6.2 per cent of Australians said they never experience pain. In fact, a quarter (25.3 per cent) of Aussies said that if they had to replace their morning alarm sound with a noise that represents their pain level it would be a wailing cat. This research has also uncovered greater insights into the impact that ongoing discomfort can have on our mental health.
The data has shown that over a third of Australians (35.5 per cent) state that pain affects their mental health, and comparatively more than half of Australians (56 per cent) say that movement makes them feel happier, presenting a clear path forward towards happiness. Joseph Mehdawi, Voltaren ANZ senior marketing lead said, Voltaren understands it’s not just about movement, it’s about providing Australians with a pain relief partner to rediscover the joy of movement.
“It is our passion for relieving pain that led us to undertake this new research, to really understand what is holding Australians back. We dug deeper into the sentiments of the Australian community around movement and pain and have noticed some alarming trends. Namely that niggling pain and discomfort is consistently holding us back from the things that bring us happiness. We’re so excited to be able to create the new, V-League, platform to celebrate the joy of movement and engage directly with Australians who are experiencing discomfort. We cannot wait to see the introductory V-League game kick off,” said Mehdawi.
Adam Gibson, captain of the Orange Team for the V-League match, says the game is a great opportunity to get back on the court with some fellow basketball fanatics. “Movement has always been a part of my life, whether that be in my professional sporting career or just in my general day to day. I am excited to be captaining the Orange Team and encouraging Aussies to get back to doing what they love, because I know first-hand the impact that pain can have,” said Gibson.
