Physical activity at Glastonbury

[Istari]

As part of my job I conduct research and thought why not combine this with the greatest festival in the world. So a few festivals ago I gave a bunch people activity monitors and GPS data loggers to wear for the full duration of the festival to accurately record the movement patterns and physical activity levels. The scientific paper I wrote has been publish and is available at the following link, so if any one is interested and wants a look/comment that would be great. A bit of a labour of love

*New paper* today on Physical activity at Glastonbury Festival - Full paper https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/12/2105 …

Are festivals good for your health?

Key findings

1. Average total distance moved 66km (max 84.5km)

2. Daily average distance 11km and 15661 steps

2. Average Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity 927 mins: x7 weekly NHS guidelines of 150 mins

[uscore]

I mean, on average at Glastonbury I probably move about a bit more than the average values in that study,  but in no way do I come back feeling the weekend has been good for my health.

[morph100]

Found my average to be about double that but it depends if it’s a muddy or dry one to be fair

[FartSauce]

Im a movin and a groovin, but Im also consumin.

[joe_bee]

I always wondered just how many calories I burn at Glastonbury.  Your key findings seem to be within the range of steps counted on my mobile phone last time anyway.

I wonder if you also took account of the fact that (for me at least) getting on site (3 trips) and leaving site (3 trips) I was carrying many times my own body weight in camping equipment and alcohol?

In 2016, the extra 3 kilos of caked-on mud around each of my size 15 wellies and the added force of having to yank each boot out of the quagmire would have made every step worth about 20 normal ones.  I think even Beck noticed how completely knackered everyone was by Sunday evening.  There was a lot of lazy head dancing going on in that crowd.

[Homer]

At Shindig last month (which is very small), my phone thought I'd covered: 

Friday: 10.1k
Saturday: 13.7k
Sunday: 17.8k

(Sunday was drum and bass day.)

[Jay Pee]

I wore a pedometer in 2016 and clocked up 110 miles Wednesday to Monday ( I appreciate this is very subjective... I mean is shaking my thing to underworld with a hip flask of brandy and a spliff the same as trolling up kinder scout?)

[Istari]

1 hour ago, FartSauce said:

Im a movin and a groovin, but Im also consumin.

No consideration of what was consumed. Would have been too much work to achieve that! But it definitely would have influenced the outcomes

[Istari]

1 hour ago, uscore said:

I mean, on average at Glastonbury I probably move about a bit more than the average values in that study,  but in no way do I come back feeling the weekend has been good for my health.

Haha. On a subjective level it probably isn't but the numbers do show there 'should' be benefits. Tbh when I get back in from a 10 mile run it doesnt feel like it is beneficial to my health either!

[Istari]

49 minutes ago, joe_bee said:

I always wondered just how many calories I burn at Glastonbury.  Your key findings seem to be within the range of steps counted on my mobile phone last time anyway.

I wonder if you also took account of the fact that (for me at least) getting on site (3 trips) and leaving site (3 trips) I was carrying many times my own body weight in camping equipment and alcohol?

In 2016, the extra 3 kilos of caked-on mud around each of my size 15 wellies and the added force of having to yank each boot out of the quagmire would have made every step worth about 20 normal ones.  I think even Beck noticed how completely knackered everyone was by Sunday evening.  There was a lot of lazy head dancing going on in that crowd.

Yes it does take into account the walking to and from the car/coach drop off point

[uscore]

I'm pretty sure I lose weight at Glastonbury.  But it's also probable I put it all straight back on again the week after due to doing nothing but sitting in my pants eating pizza and crying.

[Istari]

44 minutes ago, Jay Pee said:

I wore a pedometer in 2016 and clocked up 110 miles Wednesday to Monday ( I appreciate this is very subjective... I mean is shaking my thing to underworld with a hip flask of brandy and a spliff the same as trolling up kinder scout?)

The distance was calculated from the GPS logger so is quite accurate where as a pedometer will increase the measure of distance as you dance and the pedometer shakes

[chazwwe]

1 minute ago, uscore said:

I'm pretty sure I lose weight at Glastonbury.  But it's also probable I put it all straight back on again the week after due to doing nothing but sitting in my pants eating pizza and crying.

I would like this to be on my gravestone. 

[MetaKate]

I mean obviously its including dancing and obviously I never stop dancing but 

Edited to add: I did not go home at 530am, my phone died ?

Edited June 17, 2019 by MetaKate

[pahqman]

I'd be surprised if people get as LOW as 15k steps per day at a festival. I get that daily and I have a desk job... ?

[Little Andy]

All I know is I spend every Glastonbury in great amounts of pain cos I'm unfit and I pretend I'm not.

[keepad]

When I walked around an empty site early this year I covered 6miles in just under 3 Hours, so it will be mad to see how many steps/ distance I cover over 5 days.

[joe_bee]

3 hours ago, Istari said:

Yes it does take into account the walking to and from the car/coach drop off point

I was thinking each step must take so much more energy due to the weight of bags/mud/booze?

We try drinking as much as possible on the way in but it just doesn't seen to lighten the load.

[SighMo]

As mentioned step counters really aren’t a good way of logging distance travelled. GPS is much more accurate but even that’s iffy if you don’t turn off the tracker when you’re  stationary for any length of time as it tends to spike off in all direction due to GPS error.....I think. 

[Flysheet]

87km in 2017, not sure how much of that was toe tappin and how much proper walking natch but it can’t do you any harm

[Homer]

7 hours ago, uscore said:

I'm pretty sure I lose weight at Glastonbury.  But it's also probable I put it all straight back on again the week after due to doing nothing but sitting in my pants eating pizza and crying.

I lost three pounds in a week the week I went to Shindig. Proving, as if it needed saying, that The Festival Diet is good for you.