According to data released by Garmin, more people worldwide are exercising during lockdown.
They are just doing so in different ways to compensate for lockdown’s effect on normal daily movement.
A side-step in activity
Based on data collected in April 2020, comparing global activity to the same period last year reveals a clear reflection of the pandemic’s crippling effect.
Aggregated data from millions of Garmin users shows a worldwide decrease of 12% in average daily steps.
However, total worldwide steps from workout activities increased by 24%. A likely conclusion from this insight is that people began engaging in exercise activities to make up for lost steps in their everyday routines.
Activities on the rise worldwide
In China, Mexico, South Africa and a handful of other countries, fitness equipment workouts increased more than any other activity.
Globally, indoor cardio accounts for 50% of these activities. Last year during the same time period, over 50% of the activities in this category were strength training.
This could indicate a shift from gym-structured workouts to home-based “find-a-way” workouts.
In South Africa, 20% of the users who were golfing in April 2019 turned to indoor fitness workouts in April 2020, while another 11% began indoor cycling.
What’s next?
After analysing the activity trend data for two months, Garmin suggests that fitness is finding a way in lockdown.
While the data supports this conclusion, technically speaking, it’s the people who are finding a way. From the mainstream to professional athletes, people are adapting routines but clearly not stopping them.
While team and group activity will eventually return, for now, finding ways to stay active or a good book to keep you company during your workout is the major trend. It’s just one of the millions of routine adjustments people are making all over the world.
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
Leave a Reply