As 79% Of Brits Admit Their Hobby Has Caused Them Back, Muscle Or Joint Pain

Over one million people will be competing in Hyrox this year, and 35% of Brits claim that sports and exercise injuries are the leading causes of their back, muscle and joint pain. That’s according to research by Deep Relief - the topical muscle and joint pain specialists. With Hyrox competitions fast becoming a sporting favourite, pain management and relief is essential, and as a result, experts are suggesting Deep Relief gels as the go-to topical pain relief for easing muscular and joint aches.

The Deep Relief research has also found that a high 79% of people admit that their hobby, which could include Hyrox or another fitness race, has caused them back, muscle or joint pain, with more than three-quarters (78%) saying their body takes longer to recover after exercise or overexertion compared to their younger years.

Pharmacist and advisor to Deep Relief, Noel Wicks says: “A Hyrox competition, as well as the training that’s done before it, should not be taken lightly. This is a gruelling test of speed, strength and endurance as the whole body is moving as quickly as possible to complete the race.”

If you’re unfamiliar with Hyrox, it’s a race that combines running and functional workouts. Participants run 1km before completing a functional workout, and then this is repeated eight times. The workouts include 1km on the rower, 100 wall balls, 100m sandbag lunges and 50 m sledge pull, among others.

So, it’s not overly surprising that people feel muscular or joint pain due to the intense nature of the sport.

“That’s why pain management and relief, with topical relief such as Deep Relief gels, is so important so you can get back to training and competing,” says Noel Wicks. “Particularly as often, people will compete in several Hyrox competitions across a season. Plus, a tiny three in 10 (29%) devote less than an hour to mobility and stretching, with one in 10 (9%) saying they don’t do any, which could further increase the likelihood of pain as mobility and stretching help to keep muscles and joints healthy and pain-free.”

The physical and mental toll of training injuries

The consequences of pain can be severe.

Noel Wicks adds: “From the Deep Relief data, 30% say exercising is difficult with back, muscle and joint pain, so this means being unable to complete at your best, which seems a shame as training for a Hyrox requires a lot of time and commitment.”

For 42% of Brits, this pain has made getting out of bed a struggle and 32% find it hard to even go to work.

Mental health also takes a knock as four in 10 say they feel frustrated or annoyed that they can’t do the thing they want to do when experiencing back, muscle or joint pain. A quarter (24%) feel embarrassed or ashamed that the pain is affecting them, with 54% experiencing a low mood and 37% saying they lack motivation.2

Noel Wicks adds: “Pain in one area can often have a knock-on effect, leading to pain in other areas. For example, if you notice knee pain, this can lead to hip or lower-back pain because your body will naturally start to compensate and change the way you move.”

In fact, the Deep Relief research2 has found that 91% agree that muscle and joint pain can cause pain elsewhere in the body.

But, with a high 87% of respondents in the Deep Relief survey agreeing that functional fitness in your forties is a good habit to tackle pain issues caused by stiffness or not moving enough, it could be the case that more Brits will end up in exercise-induced pain.

Noel Wicks adds: “If you’re suffering from muscular or joint pain but need to get back to training to conquer your next Hyrox, then finding ways to manage pain is vital. And it’s important to take action sooner rather than later. Worryingly,  38% of Brits opt to wait a week or two and nearly one in 10 (9%) wait several months, while 6% don’t take any action, choosing to ignore it.

“The problem with ignoring the pain or waiting a while to deal with it, is that it inevitably gets worse.”

On top of this, when people do seek professional help, just  44% say they will follow their physio rehab plan sometimes, but not consistently and one in 10 (9%) said they are very unlikely to follow it.

That’s why it’s time to turn to Deep Relief gels….

The Deep Relief Duo Pain Relief Gel and Deep Relief Duo Joint Pain Gel are the only anti-inflammatory ibuprofen gels in the UK which have the two pain killing ingredients - Ibuprofen and Levomenthol, with a triple-action formula.

Explaining further, Noel Wicks says: “Ibuprofen is an effective, evidence backed Non-Steroidal Anti- Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), which works on reducing pain and inflammation.

“Meanwhile, Levomenthol works on the nerve endings in the skin, giving a soothing, cooling effect, while its counter-irritant activity stimulates the nerves that perceive cold and inhibits those that perceive pain.”

The two ingredients are combined in an aqueous gel, which adds to the soothing and cooling effect. The Deep Relief gel formulation penetrates through the skin rapidly to target the source of pain, achieving high, therapeutically relevant local concentrations in underlying soft tissues, muscles and joints.

If you’re after powerful pain and inflammation relief for joint, muscles, back or

rheumatism, the Deep Relief Duo Pain Relief Gel offers fast-cooling relief and its targeted, penetrating pain and inflammation relief action starts working within 10 minutes.

For effective relief of pain associated with non-serious arthritic conditions, the Deep Relief Duo Joint Pain Gel l offers targeted pain relief which starts working in 10 minutes, helping to reduce pain and inflammation. It’s suitable for rheumatic pain, as well as other conditions such as muscular aches, pains, and swellings such as strains, sprains and sport injuries, plus back pain.

Deep Relief have created a non-medicated product - the Deep Relief Actiflex Patch. It uses hydrogel technology to provide targeted cooling and soothing relief for up to 12 hours, so you can get through the day or night.  The patch can be conveniently worn under clothing or while sleeping, and it offers a flexible fit for joint areas such as shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, wrists and ankles.

Noel Wicks adds: “Hyrox works all the muscles and joints, intensely, so it’s best to be prepared with Deep Relief’s anti-inflammatory gels which help to target the pain at the source and make you feel more comfortable.”

Hyrox World Championships – the 2025/26 Hyrox season.