Lisburn is the fourth most digitally active city, according to a survey.
People there searched for fitness apps 45 per cent more than the average person in the UK.
And Lisburn focussed the most on searching for specific activities throughout the whole of the UK. They searched for core activity apps 246 per cent more than the average UK city.
From walking the dog, meditating, to improving our diet, there are many things that we can do to help improve our fitness, both physically and mentally.
But can our digital devices prove more useful to us than simply eroding the boredom of lockdown with Netflix and TikTok?
Mobile apps and smart devices help us track our calories, heart rate, and activities, making them a popular choice for many fitness fanatics.
More people have turned to the likes of Fitbit and Strava during the pandemic, aiming to replace the missing experience of exercising in a gym or with others. But have some UK regions sought a more active lifestyle than others during the pandemic?
Using Google search data, one leading manufacturer of health supplements, Pharma Nord, says that people are increasingly searching for healthier and more active lifestyles.
Google searches for vitamin D3 and Q10 tablets, which both help with our immune system and energy levels, have increased by 120 per cent and 54 per cent over the past year respectively. Now, Pharma Nord has investigated which fitness apps and devices have increased their popularity in the past year, and which city has seen the biggest growth in terms of activity advocacy.
There is no shortage of fitness apps and devices on the market. However, some are clearly more popular than others. Across the most popular apps and devices, the UK public searched for Fitbit more than any other. With 550,000 monthly searches, the smartwatch and fitness tracker fought off stiff competition from Strava, a dedicated running app, which had 301,000 searches per month, and MyFitnessPal, a diet and exercise tracker, with 110,000 searches per month.
Across all of the cities in the UK, there were strong searches for these fitness apps and devices. However, some cities showed more motivation to start their fitness journeys than others.
Surprisingly, the people of Inverness were identified as having searched for fitness apps and devices the most when compared to all other UK cities. With 1,560 average searches per month, the city had the highest proportion of their population looking for fitness apps. In fact, Inverness people searched for fitness apps 117 per cent more than the average person in the UK.
Behind the Scottish city was Chester, which searched for popular fitness apps and devices 80 per cent more than the UK average, and Exeter which searched 46 per cent more than average.
While the likes of Inverness and Chester showed their advocacy for fitness apps and devices, other cities fared less well. The Google searches found that Royal Turnbridge Wells was the least likely to search for the digital tools. The people of the western Kent town were 82 per cent less likely to ask Google for these apps and devices than the rest of the UK.
Only slightly better performing were Newport and Swansea, whose searches were 77 per cent and 72 per cent below the UK average.
| Most Digitally Active Cities | ||||||
| Most Active Cities | Least Active Cities | |||||
| Rank | City | Percent Above UK Average | Rank | City | Percent Below UK Average | |
| 1 | Inverness | 117% | 1 | Royal Tunbridge Wells | -82% | |
| 2 | Chester | 80% | 2 | Newport | -77% | |
| 3 | Exeter | 46% | 4 | Swansea | -72% | |
| 4 | Lisburn | 45% | 3 | Cardiff | -62% | |
| 5 | Bristol | 45% | 5 | Bangor | -52% | |
The data also revealed the core aims of the public in searching for fitness apps. Alongside the known branded applications, people also searched for apps to help them with specific activities. The most common of these was ‘running app’, which amassed 6,600 searches per month in the UK.
However, it’s not just exercise apps people were looking to for help with their health. In second place, searches for ‘meditation app’ and ‘sleep app’ each achieved 4,400 searches per month.
There has been a strong focus on mental health during the pandemic. The virus and the isolation of lockdown have caused considerable anxiety among the public. Using your phone to help improve your mental wellbeing and improve your sleep can be just as important as taking care of your physical health.
Other high volume searched apps include ‘walking app’ also with 4,400 searches, ‘step counter app’ with 3,600 searches, and ‘cycling app’ with 2,900 searches.
Of all cities in the UK, Lisburn focussed the most on searching for specific activities. They searched for core activity apps 246 per cent more than the average UK city. Meanwhile, Bradford searched for these apps the least, falling 78 per cent below the average UK search scores.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle has been made easier with the help of our phones and the use of smartwatches. They can track everything, from steps, heart rate, and even our sleeping patterns. The past year has emphasised the need to stay active, and for those looking to start on their fitness journey, your phone may be the best port of call.