Pandemic trends show that despite some restrictions many countries are experiencing, were still finding many ways to move. According to Garmin trends data, yes. Most of the worlds daily step count has decreased significantly. However, this is not the whole picture, since many people have developed new routines with different types of exercises to stay active. So just because were experiencing a pandemic, it doesnt mean were sitting on our behind all day.
There has been a massive shift in the way people are moving across the globe. An earlier report by Garmin saw remarkable changes in the types of sports and exercises people were choosing to do. Moreover, Garmin states that simply looking at the step count wont tell a complete story. We know that this number is down in every country, but it doesnt necessarily mean people are exercising less. Think about it. There could be a lady who lives in a tiny flat in Italy, who hasnt been able to walk much at all. But we dont know what shes doing in her flat to keep active. For all we know, she could be cycling indoors for 20km a day. Thats why Garmin has taken this into consideration in their new pandemic trend report. In fact, it could even mean that many people are moving more.
We need to get an accurate picture of how people are moving around the world. Fortunately, Garmins wearable devices can tell us how people are moving, and not just if theyre moving. We do know that the total worldwide steps decreased by 12% in April 2020. However, steps from just workout activities increased by 24%. This means that more people are exercising but in different ways. This makes up for the suppression of normal daily movement during the pandemic.
Its crazy to think that years from today, were going to look back at this pandemic and remember April as the month COVID-19 hit us. Coronavirus extended its debilitating reach to nearly every country, culture, and community on Earth. Theres no denying the fact that the pandemic has impacted our daily lives phenomenally. Besides that, we thought it would be interesting to report back on the effects its having on human activity.
According to the Garmin report, we see a clear reflection of the pandemics crippling global power. Especially when you compare April 2020 to April last year. Aggregated data from millions of Garmin users shows a worldwide decrease of 12% in average daily steps.
Note that Garmin applied a fixed data scale to every country in the world. For this reason, results are magnified for countries with lower population counts and stricter stay-at-home orders. For example, the U.S. compared to Uzbekistan. While Uzbekistan is nowhere near the U.S. in the number of coronavirus cases. It has a bigger percentage decrease because there are fewer people and stricter lockdown rules.
Although the data shows were not walking as much as before, we are moving quite a bit. People are keeping fit during this pandemic, by completing home workouts and other forms of activity to compensate. We cant deny the fact that its certainly become a lot more interesting when it comes to exercise. People are demonstrating a lot of creativity.
We can see that theres a clear reduction in general movement, but when we take a deeper look at the data. Things get a bit more enticing. Garmin reports that a portion of these total worldwide steps come from uploaded activities like running, cycling and hiking. With 20 built-in activity apps on Garmin devices, they were able to accurately detect this data.
This means that if we look at just the steps coming from these logged activities. We can find the opposite trend.On average, steps from logged activities were up 24% worldwide. To sum up, people have started to engage in unique exercise activities to make-up for lost steps in their everyday routines. Not bad for being locked in your home due to a pandemic.
Whether its true, pandemic or not, come hell-high-water, people are getting their exercise in.
The question remains, what is everybody doing to stay fit during the pandemic?
Based on the data, its clear that Garmin users are turning to activities that are most viable depending on their geographic location. Some of these activities are highlighted in our previous post on pandemic trends inthe U.S. and Europe. However, this new data gives us a complete global picture.
The picture below shows activities that saw the largest increase in each country. This is when we compare April 2020 to April 2019.
From what we can see, it seems that most countries have taken to indoor cycling. Apparently, Australians and Canadians both seem to agree that walking is the best activity during life in quarantine. But China, Mexico, South Africa and a handful of other countries have all turned to fitness equipment workouts. But what kind of fitness equipment workouts? Garmin says that indoor cardio accounts for 50% of these workouts. Last year duringDuring the same time period, over 50% of the activities in this category were strength training. Thats very interesting, the pandemic has definitely forced people to make adjustments to their usual routine.
Remember when everybody was raving about strength training? Well, now we have to adapt and look into doing some more cardio too. Moreover, this shift indicates that weve made a shift from gym-structured workouts to home-based find-a-way workouts. Although its evident that a vast majority of people cycle indoors, Garmin took it a step further. They decided to consult a couple of Garmin pro athletes to collect some qualitative context. Interestingly, they said that certain areas like France are not able to cycle outside. says U.S. triathlete Taylor
As a result of the pandemic, many who never did indoor cycling are now doing it five times per week.
The triathlete also said that many athletes are spending more time on platforms like Zwift. He said that their training group meets once every 2 weeks to do a session together. Its a great way to keep yourself motivated to keep moving when having regular virtual sessions. Moreover, its a wonderful way to remain in contact even if it is only once a week. This is particularly important if youre used to meeting regularly with your training group of workout buddies at the gym.
Whilst the pandemic has pushed humanity toward some activities, it has decisively turned it away from others. In a previous article that focused on European trends, it noted that swimming had all but disappeared. As we compare April 2020 to April 2019, this looks to be a global trend too. The data shows significant decreases in swimming activity from the Americas to the Far East.
However, this doesnt mean that swimmers are just sitting all day. The data shows that in Australia 54% of the users who swam in April 2019 are instead running outdoors in April 2020. Then in China, 43% of the users swamin April of last year they were either running or cycling outside this year. In the U.S., pro triathletes are keeping up their fitness by working hard at home. Since most public pools are closed, theyre doing more gym-based strength workouts. If youre a swimmer, then you can even try to replicate some movements and muscle patterns of swimming.
When it comes to multisport training, hiking and golf theres been a massive decrease in multiple countries. But like swimmers, these guys are looking for alternatives. For example, in South Africa, 20% of the users who were golfing in April 2019 turned to indoor fitness workouts in April 2020. And then another 11% began indoor cycling.
The consensus seems to be that people are using this time to their advantage. Particularly if youre an athlete, wed imagine youre using this pandemic to prepare your body for when sports return. Its important to try to maintain your usual activity levels even if it means trying something new.
In conclusion, its obvious that we are finding a way to move no matter what. From the mainstream to a professional athlete, people are adapting routines but clearly not stopping them. If youre a runner but used to enjoy running with your teammates, then try listening to some podcasts or audiobooks while you run. Theres always a way to work around this pandemic.
Hold tight guys, team sports will return eventually. But for now, finding other ways to move on your own is your best bet. Fitness is just one of millions of routine adjustments being made around the world.
Snacking all day, making constant trips to the fridge? Yeah, we totally get where youre coming from.
The Impact of the Global Pandemic on Human Activity: Part III. Garmin. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/fitness/the-impact-of-the-global-pandemic-on-human-activity-part-iii/
The Global Pandemic and Active Lifestyles: Part II. Garmin. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/general/the-global-pandemic-and-active-lifestyles-part-ii/
Continue reading here:
pandemic-restrictions-arent-stopping-us-heres-what you need to know - Longevity LIVE
- 5 Healthy Ways to Live a Longer, Happier Life, According to Blue Zone Communities - Verywell Mind - April 24th, 2025
- Walking Just 11 Minutes Each Day Could Add Years To Your Life, Says Study. Here's Why It Works. - Women's Health - April 24th, 2025
- Healthspan and longevity: The rise of the geroprotective supplements - NutraIngredients-USA.com - April 24th, 2025
- Longevity expert says one exercise can add three years to your life - Surrey Live - April 24th, 2025
- Want To Live To 100? Heres What The Blue Zones Are Doing Right - Plant Based News - April 24th, 2025
- Longevity: Discover Our Exclusive Hotels Focusing on Gentle Rejuvenation - Falstaff - April 24th, 2025
- In-cosmetics Global 2025: Barentz targets biohacking and longevity trends with innovative formulations - www.personalcareinsights.com - April 24th, 2025
- Fitness, mindset, and nutrition: Unlocking longevity after 60 [PODCAST] - KevinMD.com - April 24th, 2025
- Lanserhof: The Worlds Most Advanced Longevity Clinicand Why It Matters - stupidDOPE - April 24th, 2025
- Fiber, gut health and longevity: The week in Well+Being - The Washington Post - April 24th, 2025
- Viewpoint: Longevity and sirtuinsLeonard Guarantes Elysium is raking in a fortune promoting supplements that most scientists believe are next to... - April 24th, 2025
- Link between regenerative, functional, and longevity medicine | Bloom - WFLA - April 24th, 2025
- Abu Dhabi takes the HELM in longevity - Longevity.Technology - April 24th, 2025
- Family Guy: Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin Talk Longevity, Collaboration, and Doing it By Hand - Animation World Network - April 24th, 2025
- Want to Live Longer? A New Study Says Making This Easy Swap Could Help - Food & Wine - April 24th, 2025
- Timeline, the Leading Longevity Biotech Brand, Launches First-of-Its-Kind Gummy Powered by Mitopure - Business Wire - April 24th, 2025
- 'I'm a longevity expert - most 100-year-olds have eaten one type of carbohydrate their entire lives' - GB News - April 24th, 2025
- Whats the secret of the longevity of crocodile relatives? - futurity.org - April 24th, 2025
- This 99-Year-Old Lifts Every Day and Swears by One Surprising Meal - Men's Fitness - April 24th, 2025
- 5 health tips from the exclusive (and hardcore) German longevity retreat - MSN - April 24th, 2025
- I feel more alive than ever at 47 here's my 4-step routine - hellomagazine.com - April 14th, 2025
- Longevity Fitness: How to slow down aging and strategies to stay fit after middle age - Times of India - April 14th, 2025
- Living Longer and Better: The Rise of Longevity Clinics. But When Will They Be Accessible to Everyone? - Men's Health - April 14th, 2025
- Recent work suggests a connection between verbal factors and a longer lifespan. - Psychology Today - April 14th, 2025
- Aging In Place: Longevity In A Time Of Stress - CapeNews.net - April 14th, 2025
- Florida Wins National Title, a 101-Year-Olds Longevity Tips: What to Know TODAY - TODAY.com - April 14th, 2025
- Retirement could be bad for your health, says wellness expert: 'Powered by purpose' - Fox News - April 14th, 2025
- 101-Year-Old Nutrition Professor Shares 7 Tips For A Long Life - TODAY.com - April 14th, 2025
- Longevity and precision medicine driving the agenda at Abu Dhabi Global Health Week - PR Newswire - April 14th, 2025
- Sadhguru's 13 tips on right food habits that promote health and longevity - Times of India - April 14th, 2025
- Aging, regeneration and whole-body rejuvenation in long-lived planarians - Nature - April 14th, 2025
- Longevity expert says world's oldest people in Blue Zones 'never' drink this - Surrey Live - April 14th, 2025
- Technologies developed to clean up orbit and enhance satellite longevity - Space Daily - April 14th, 2025
- Longevity in theatre requires talent and skill and lucky timing - The Stage - April 14th, 2025
- FIBO 2025 opens with new longevity and wellness hall and conference - spaopportunities.com - April 14th, 2025
- What the Tech: Increasing your iPhone's longevity - KTBS - April 14th, 2025
- P90X trainer Tony Horton is in the best shape of his life at 66. Here are his top longevity tips. - Business Insider - April 14th, 2025
- This daily supplement can work wonders for longevity: Here's how to take it - Times of India - April 14th, 2025
- Is this longevity diet a magic pill for chronic diseases? Why Lancets planetary health diet can work for you - The Indian Express - April 14th, 2025
- Im a doctor why the French diet beats the Mediterranean diet for obesity, longevity and colon cancer - New York Post - April 14th, 2025
- So "Longevity Tea" Is A Thing & It's Easier To Make Than You'd Expect - MindBodyGreen - April 5th, 2025
- Longevity & Hospitality Summit: Transforming the future of hospitality - spaopportunities.com - April 5th, 2025
- Department of Health Abu Dhabi hosts inaugural Healthy Longevity Innovation Forum - MSN - April 5th, 2025
- Fat's surprising role in aging and longevity - WFTV - April 5th, 2025
- The creator of Kind Bars is now investing in longevity. Here's what his firm is betting on. - Business Insider - April 5th, 2025
- Try these moves tied to longevity and independence later in life - MSN - April 5th, 2025
- Longevity Beauty Brand Oneskin Launches Hair - The Business of Fashion - April 5th, 2025
- The science of brain longevity: The Magtein success story - NutraIngredients.com - April 5th, 2025
- Public invited to attend free conference on longevity: Focus Forward Long Live West Virginia - WV News - April 5th, 2025
- Dr Greger Reveals The 10 Blue Zones Food Guidelines To Lengthen Your Life - Plant Based News - April 5th, 2025
- NAD Supplements Promise to Improve Energy, Metabolism, and Longevity. Heres How Experts Recommend You Use Them - GQ - April 5th, 2025
- Longevity and Hyaluronic Acid, discover the novelties of LipoTrue at booth 1A80 - Cosmetics Business - April 5th, 2025
- The Longevity Superfood That Could Extend Your Life - Plant Based News - April 5th, 2025
- Nutritionist-approved 5 fruits that improve longevity and heart health - Times of India - April 5th, 2025
- Exclusive | 100-year-old NYC cabaret singer shares her secret to longevity: Everything about her is an inspiration - New York Post - April 5th, 2025
- The No. 1 Tip You Need To Live To 100, From A Longevity Expert - MindBodyGreen - April 5th, 2025
- I asked scientists about the best exercise for longevity - and they all said the same 3 workouts - Woman & Home - April 5th, 2025
- Longevity Is A Rich Man's Game. But What Does It Cost The Rest Of Us? - HuffPost UK - April 5th, 2025
- 'Fasting and the Longevity Revolution' Trailer Has Edward Norton Narrating Nutrition Doc - MovieWeb - April 5th, 2025
- The convergence of health, wealth and longevity Services - Deloitte - April 5th, 2025
- Longevity researcher shares secrets of the worlds blue zones - Fox News - March 19th, 2025
- Kyrgyzstan on the Threshold of an Aging Population: Government Develops Active Longevity Program - Times of Central Asia - March 19th, 2025
- Longevity dividend - Association of Health Care Journalists - March 19th, 2025
- Longevity: The cosmetics industry must rethink its approach to ageing - Premium beauty - March 19th, 2025
- Implantable biosensors get major longevity boost with coating technology that inhibits biofouling - Phys.org - March 19th, 2025
- Longevity vs. Metabolism: How Birds Cheat the Aging Process - SciTechDaily - March 19th, 2025
- Bon appetit, Cristiano Ronaldo! 'Unusual' dish behind 40-year-old's remarkable longevity - and where it can be bought - revealed - Goal.com - March 19th, 2025
- Secrets of the Greenland Sharks Longevity Revealed in New Study - The Brighter Side of News - March 19th, 2025
- Anthony Michael Hall Says Longevity Was Always His Goal As The Breakfast Club And Weird Science Turn 40 - Decider - March 19th, 2025
- LB Elandon Roberts' words on NFL longevity will have Raiders fans very excited to have him - Raiders Wire - March 19th, 2025
- Studies Undoubtedly Show This Vitamin Is Linked To LongevityHere's Why - mindbodygreen - March 19th, 2025
- 'Helps slow down ageing': Nutritionist names longevity foods that improve 'heart health and brain function' - GB News - March 19th, 2025
- Men With High-Quality Sperm May Have a Longer Life Expectancy - Everyday Health - March 19th, 2025
- Dr. Vonda Wright Shares the Longevity Habits Youre Not Thinking About (and That You Can Start Doing Today) - Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper - March 19th, 2025
- 99-Year-Old Dick Van Dyke Eats This Surprising Food Combo Every Day - Taste of Home - March 19th, 2025
- Climbing This Many Stairs A Week May Lead To A Longer Life - HuffPost UK - March 19th, 2025
- How to live longer: Supercentenarian who lived to 117 ate her go-to snack 3 times a day - GB News - March 19th, 2025
- Saudi Arabia Expands Regulatory Role To Shape The Future Of Health And Longevity - Citeline News & Insights - March 19th, 2025
- Crypto fans are obsessed with longevity and biohacking: Heres why - Cointelegraph - March 19th, 2025
- Unlocking the power of sleep: Longevity expert Dr Elie Abirached tells us how - Gulf Business - March 19th, 2025