May 29, 2020

Are People Exercising More Or Less During Lockdown

Are People Exercising
More Or Less During
Lockdown?

According to YouGov, in January 2020, on average a quarter of Britons (27%) said they don’t manage a single 30-minute exercise session a week. Since a high percentage of Brits are finding a lot more time on their hands, due to lockdown and the current covid-19 pandemic, we wanted to know whether Brits are exercising more or less. Could there be a rise in Brits exercising or a decline due to the shut down of gyms and sports halls?
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Whether you are saving a 1-hour commute to work, are trying to find something new to occupy your time or to simply get your body and mind into action during the lockdown, take a look at our study below.

Intent to Exercise

The graph below shows an evident uplift in the number of people searching for exercise-related search results. The official UK lockdown was announced on the 23rd March, which coincides in the uplift. A steady increase occurred from the 18th to around the start of April.

Interest Over Time

Google Survey

We conducted a Google Survey and asked over 500 participants whether they are exercising more, less, the same or whether they never exercise. Whilst it seems there is a lot of uncertainty with the general public, there has been an uplift in people exercising more, but also a drop in those exercising too.
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29% of participants said they are exercising more during the lockdown, whereas 31% said they are exercising less. Although the study didn’t show whether there was a significant lean to a particular side, the data itself shows promising challenges, depending on age or gender.

Male Findings

32% of men said they are exercising more during the lockdown. However, 31% of men said they are exercising less.

Female Findings

32% of women said they are exercising less during the lockdown. 30% are exercising the same amount and 27% are exercising more during the pandemic.

Which Age Group Said They Are Exercising More?

Participants in the 25-34 age group showed the highest increase in exercising more, with 21% saying they are exercising more during the lockdown.

Which Age Group Said They Are Exercising Less?

Participants in the 35-44 age group said they are exercising less, with 23.4% saying they are exercising less during lockdown.

Which Gender Said They Are Exercising More?

Which Gender Said They Are Exercising Less?

Why Should We Exercise Now More Than Ever?

The NHS recommends between two and a half hours of moderate-intensity exercise a week, or one and a quarter hours of high-intensity activity per week.

Are people exercising less due to gyms being shut?

‍According to Real Buzz, only 7% of the UKs population hold a gym membership. So what are the 4.5 million usual gymgoers doing during lockdown?
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According to the NHS, research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. That particular physical activity doesn’t have to be high-intensity exercise, any form of fitness that gets your heart rate up, breathing faster and feeling warmer is ideal. Regular physical activity can increase the production of hormones in your body that makes you feel happier and sleep better.