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The first national lockdown saw 35.9 per cent of employees focus on how to stay healthy through COVID-19
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The third national lockdown saw the most interaction with mental wellbeing – coping, control, connection and motivation support
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In 2020, 38.7 per cent of employees chose to run, but in 2021, in 2021, 62.8 per cent increased their step count by walking
Tictrac, a global employee wellbeing company, has revealed data to show how the imposed national lockdowns due to COVID-19 have led to employees engaging with physical activity in the first lockdown, but changing to gain support on mental wellbeing and improving their nutrition a year later. The data* was gathered based on the content employees engaged with on Tictrac’s Employee Wellbeing Platform. The platform is used by over 43,000 people globally.
During the first lockdown, the data showed that from the 23rd March 2020 and six weeks onwards, employees in the UK were focusing on their physical health. Individuals were mostly interested in improving physical activity, with 35.9 per cent engaging with content about how to stay healthy through COVID-19. With home workouts becoming popular during this period, 29.8 per cent of users watched videos on how to perfect specific exercises at home.
From the first six weeks from the 4th January 2021, there was a stark difference. Employees seemed to experience fitness fatigue and as the pandemic continued, they focused on their mental wellbeing. 29.8 per cent of employees read about coping, control and connection, and during that period, there was a 17 per cent surge in users learning about boosting their motivation, compared to just 5 per cent in March 2020.
The data also found that in 2020, more users were running (38.7 per cent), but in 2021 that decreased significantly, with only 6.26 per cent choosing to run, and others switching to walking; the step count increased significantly, from 25.81 per cent in 2020 and 62.85 per cent this year.
Post Christmas, many of the app’s users took the new year as an opportunity to kickstart new eating habits. 27.6 per cent of people took on the app’s 90-day eat well plan. Interestingly, 10.1 per cent of employees also looked to reduce their alcohol intake since January 2021, making the decision to take on a new habit of having a couple of alcohol-free days, this was the case for men in particular.
The content on the app has been specially created by well-known health and fitness experts. It includes fitness and yoga videos, meditation and mindfulness podcasts, as well as easy to follow recipes and practical strategies that provide users with constant inspiration and advice on how to improve their lifestyle.
Commenting on the findings, Martin Blinder, CEO and co-founder, Tictrac, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unparalleled upheaval to our lives, but the data is encouraging. Both physical and mental health has been high on people’s agenda, and with so many employees affected by the spread of Coronavirus, it’s extremely positive to see that this has been the catalyst for change, with an increase in individuals using this time to focus on their wellbeing.
Blinder continued: “As a nation, we all need to take far better care of ourselves. We hope these indicators are representative of a long-lasting trend in self-care and that employers continue to keep wellbeing high on the agenda for the long-term”.
After years of research, market insights and working with some of the world’s largest health insurers, Tictrac has developed a proprietary behavioural change approach called H.E.A.L.**., proven to prevent or treat long-term wellbeing challenges. The platform provides personalised and interactive action plans to help employees discover and adopt healthier habits that last. The platform also delivers engaging, personal and team physical challenges to build connection, camaraderie and generates a step-change in daily activity levels.
* Tictrac’s data is aggregated and kept anonymous.
**H.E.A.L
is a Tictrac acronym that stands for Healthier over healthy, Effort over ability, Action over outcomes and Lifestyle over routines.
For more information, please visit https://www.tictrac.com
