As if women didn’t already have enough gender gaps to contend with, new research has unearthed another: ‘The Gender Exercise Gap’.

According to research from ASICS State of Mind Index, finding the time to exercise during the week looks pretty different for men and women, with women exercising significantly less than men on account of having less free time in their week.

Globally, women exercise on average for 40 minutes less than men every week. In Australia, this number reaches 60 minutes less exercise for women each week.

With a person’s level of physical activity being shown as a strong indicator of good mental health, the consequences for this disparity are vast.

In Australia, the men’s State of Mind score sits at 66/100, whereas women’s scores are 9 points lower at 57/100. Globally, women’s scores lean lower than men as well.

And according to the index, most people believe it takes at least 30 minutes to see a positive shift in mood, but in reality, all it takes is 15 minutes.

Australian cricket player Alyssa Healy tells Women’s Agenda she can see multiple reasons why women might be exercising less, including family commitments, work commitments and fewer opportunities for women to engage in team sports.

Speaking to how we can help shift this dial, Healy says, “providing education on the benefits of exercise for both your physical and mental well-being is a great start.”

“We also need to celebrate and uplift female athletes, role models and even everyday heroes which can inspire and motivate women to pursue their own sporting goals.”

One study from The Australian National University (ANU), found that in heterosexual couples, men appear to “borrow” free time from their female partners to keep up their exercise, leaving women to squeeze in exercise around the demands of their job and housework.

“This is one of the first studies to show how, hour-for-hour, women’s time for their health is being squeezed to manage their jobs and the family, whereas men’s time for jobs and health is more protected,” author and ANU Professor Lyndall Strazdins said.

“Even when a man in a couple increases the hours they work they are able to preserve time to exercise, but when a woman works more, she gives up her time to exercise. This suggests men are borrowing their time from the women in their lives.”

Another study looking into the gendered differences in exercise found that daily tradeoffs for work, family and physical activity are unequal between men and women.

Researchers from the American Sociological Association found that in heterosexual couples, men’s activity remained unaffected by family time or working hours. For women, however, the amount of time spent exercising decreased as their family time or working hours increased.

This gender exercise gap is a significant women’s health issue considering the World Health Organisation rates physical inactivity as the 4th leading risk factor for mortality, contributing to 3.2 million deaths each year.

The most popular forms of exercise found in the ASICS Global State of Mind Index for both men and women were walking (65 per cent), followed by cardio training (14 per cent) and other sports (14 per cent).

For women looking to incorporate more exercise into their weekly routine, Alyssa Healy suggests starting small and building gradually.

“Whether it’s taking a walk, attending a fitness class, or trying a new sport, make sure it's something that motivates you to keep going,” she says.

“Consistency is key, so keep at it and celebrate each small victory along the way!”