Men and younger adults less active in lockdown: Study
by Maria Thomas
Updated Jul 08, 2020
For the findings, published in the journal BMJ Open Sport, the research team included data from 911 UK adults who took part in an online survey which began on 17 March.
"The overall levels of physical activity are higher than we were expecting," said study lead author Dr Lee Smith from the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the UK.
The research found that 75 per cent of UK adults met the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s physical activity recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, since the introduction of social distancing regulations.
This is higher than previous studies carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic, which found that between 58 per cent and 66 per cent of the UK adult population typically meet physical activity guidelines.
The new study found that women, older adults, and those with a higher annual household income were significantly more likely to meet the WHO's physical activity guidelines.
According to the researchers, this is the opposite of studies carried out prior to the pandemic, where men and younger adults were found to have higher levels of physical activity.
"During the early stages of the outbreak, one of the few reasons to leave home was to take part in an hour of exercise. As well as offering a reason to go outside, this may have served as a target for some people," Smith said.
"Typically, the proportion of UK adults meeting physical activity guidelines declines with age. Therefore, there should be additional support offered to older adults to encourage them to sustain this level of physical activity post-pandemic," Smith noted.
Related Articles
- Optical Illusion Brain Test: If you have Sharp Eyes Find the Number 442 in 20 Secs
- London-based firm Nothing to release its Phone (2)
- Covid will continue to cause mini-waves, not become seasonal yet: Scientists
- Hackers offering crypto accounts for as low as $30 on darknet
- Reddit's new feature to allow users to share its content on other platforms
- Surgical masks can help kids fight respiratory infections: Study
- LinkedIn's new AI feature to write messages to hiring team
- Microsoft introduces Xbox Game Pass' new Friend Referral programme
- Disbursed over Rs 31 cr in claims to delivery partners in FY22-23: Swiggy
- India emerging as favourable destination for clinical trials: Report