This is the fitness app everyone is using during lockdown

(Image credit: Getty Images/Cavan Images RF)

published 31 May 2020

Lockdown has forced us to exercise in a different way, and one app in particular has been helping a lot of Brits.

Whether it's using resistance bands in your living room while you watch a live workout on social media or using your best fitness tracker whilst going out for your daily walk, lockdown has definitely changed the way we exercise, and how we feel about it.

New figures released by mobile network operator EE illustrate just that, as it's revealed which apps Brits have been relying on the most during the weeks we’ve been under lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.

What fitness app has been most popular during lockdown?

As well as a sharp increase in the use of communication apps like Zoom, some fitness apps have also been very popular between February and May.

Strava, the fitness app mostly used to track running and cycling, has seen the number of users and data usage more than triple compared to the pre-lockdown figures, as countless people turned to outdoor exercise.

Data spent on MapMyRun also doubled, as more people started running outside during the sunny weather.

On the other hand, Fitbit’s usage on EE’s mobile network has fallen considerably since lockdown started.

CEO of BT’s consumer division, Marc Allera, said of the figures, “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.”

Other findings from the report also show that there was a 45% increase in traffic for apps used primarily to communicate, including WhatsApp, Houseparty, Skype and Teams.

Overall voice usage increased by 45%, and voice calls lasting more than five minutes doubled on average.

Video-conferencing service Zoom’s popularity has also soared, with an increase of over five times the number of users compared with pre-lockdown activity on EE’s network.

Mariana is the managing editor of woman&home. She has previously worked for lifestyle titles including GoodtoKnow covering all aspects of women’s lifestyle - from the Royal Family, beauty and fashion to wellness and travel. She was nominated for AOP Digital Journalist of the Year in 2020, and for New Digital Talent of the Year at the 2016 PPA Digital Awards. She’s mildly obsessed with TV (reality TV shows included) and spends far too much time planning her next trip away.