Maintain increased physical activity

People who boosted their exercise level during lockdown should try to keep it up, researchers have said.

It comes after a new study found that Britons were more likely to meet physical activity goals at the height of the social distancing restrictions.

The national lockdown implemented in March saw large swathes of the population confined to their homes – with many only going outside to get a single dose of daily exercise.

Prior to lockdown only 58%66% of the UK adult population met the recommended levels of physical activity, but a new study found that this rose to 75% after Covid-19 social distancing restrictions were put in place.

These people should be encouraged to sustain this level of physical activity as restrictions are lifted, researchers said.

The study found differences between gender, age, and annual household income linked to whether or not a person was likely to get enough exercise.

Researchers led by a team from Anglia Ruskin University set out to investigate the levels of physical activity during the pandemic – and launched a survey just before stringent lockdown measures were implemented.

A poll of 911 British adults found that three-quarters of participants managed to meet physical activity guidelines – 150 minutes of moderate physical activity and/or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week.

They found that women, older adults and those with higher annual household income were significantly likely to be more physically active.

Indeed the average number of minutes spent doing moderate to vigorous physical activity per day when social distancing was 94.

Those aged 18-34 spent 67 minutes doing this level of activity compared with 153 minutes among those aged 65 and older.

The study, published in the journal BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, found that men were less likely than women to meet activity levels.

And those with a household income below £15,000 were less likely than more affluent people to meet the recommendations.