Under lockdown, the world gets moving

While much of the world remains under lockdown, indoor exercise is on the rise, with a recent study showing a spike in activity in various countries abroad.

Conducted by international technology company Garmin, the study published activity trends in six European countries.

Data was captured from millions of Garmin smartwatch wearers in the five European countries with the most coronavirus cases – Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the United Kingdom – since lockdowns began taking effect on March 9.

As a comparison, the study used the five-week period before the lockdown (February 1 to March 8) to measure changes in trends.

Sweden, where fewer restrictions were in place, was also included in order to gauge the scale of atypicality.

In indoor cycling, it was found that there were record activity spikes in Italy (309% increase), Spain (273%) and France (157%), the three countries with the most coronavirus cases.

The UK also saw slight increases in recent weeks, though there were decreases in activity levels in Germany and Sweden.

According to the study, cyclists had been largely motivated by virtual training partners, syncing their activity using third-party platforms such as Zwift.

“The magnitude of this shift cannot be understated,” the study noted. “We are witnessing historically steep increases in activity that typically decreases in the spring. It’s never happened before.”

In Germany, there had been a 153% increase in outdoor cycling since March 9.

While there had also been increases in outdoor cycling activity in Sweden and the UK, however, there was decreases in activity in France, Italy and Spain, where it had flatlined under strict lockdown measures.

Meanwhile, there had been a rise in activity using other fitness equipment, including elliptical workouts, indoor cardio, indoor rowing, stair machines and strength training, with significant increases in activity in Italy (105%), Spain (93%) and France (80%).

Though there had also been a slight increase in the UK, general indoor activity had decreased in Germany and Sweden.

Among runners, outdoor activity had decreased in Spain (68%) and Italy (42%), and though there had been an upward spike in Germany, outdoor runners were covering less mileage in all six countries, with individuals staying closer to home.

Indoor running had increased in Italy (130%), Spain (84%) and France (18%), where activities were being uploaded in record numbers, but the figures were down in Germany, Sweden and the UK.

“A deeper dive into the data tells us that people in the countries with the highest restrictions are actually taking it to the treadmill, and in many cases, virtual running,” according to the study.

In Sweden, where there were minimal social distancing restrictions, more people were playing golf during the lockdown than they were at this time last year, with a remarkable 741% increase in activity in comparison to the period before the lockdown.

There were decreases in activity on golf courses, however, in all five other countries.

Swimming had seen a dive across the board, with activity virtually slowing to a standstill during the lockdown.

But with people searching for new ways to stay fit, there was an unprecedented rise in floor climbing, which refers to individuals running up and down stairs in their homes.

This activity had skyrocketed in Spain (900%), Italy (572%) and France (103%) as people continued to prove that exercise remained a general priority in their lives, even while being stuck at home.