Huge spike in fitness app use as time spent on Strava triples during lockdown

Lockdown has seen countless changes in this country, but one major change is the time people are spending on fitness apps likes Strava and MapMyRun.

Mobile network EE has released data usage figures which reveal that Strava use has tripled during the lockdown, compared with pre-March statistics.

This has been mirrored with another fitness app, MapMyRun, which has seen usage double in the last three months.

Conversely, Fitbit use has fallen across the UK as people are moving around less in their day-to-day life because of coronavirus.

CEO of BT’s consumer division, Marc Allera, said: “Lockdown has clearly driven huge changes in the way our mobile network is being used.

“Fitness apps are seeing big spikes in data usage as we exercise more outside and online supermarket orders spiked massively in the early stages and are now returning to a new ‘normal.”

Strava has seen both the number of users and data usage more than triple compared to the pre-lockdown figures, as countless new people have turned to outdoor exercise to stay healthy.

With gyms and leisure centres closed, many more people have tried cycling and running during this period of uncertainty.

But with more people working from home, Fitbit use has fallen sharply as most people follow government advice to stay at home.

This month, Strava announced a major overhaul as it tries to encourage more people to become paying members.

Free features like leaderboards and segment analysis are now only available to subscribers.

There has been a flip-side to the increase in people heading outdoors to exercise however, as Richmond Park has been closed to cyclists as park staff witnessed an increase in the number of riders using the green space.

Meanwhile, the UK government and councils across the country are trying to encourage more people to cycle for their commute.

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As the country looks to easing its way out of lockdown, there are concerns that cities and towns could become gridlocked as people avoid public transport when returning to work.