A new survey has shown that despite gyms and leisure centres being closed since March, one in three people have become more active since the lockdown began.

Improving mental health and “combatting lockdown weight gain” are among the reasons for an increase in activity among British people in recent weeks, according to a new poll by Biofreeze.

The poll found that one in three people have become more active in their homes than they were before the lockdown was introduced.

According to the recent poll, 33% of people have been exercising to combat lockdown weight gain, while 30% say it helps with their mental health and 21% say it gets them out of the house.

A mum from Long Melford who struggled with depression and anxiety, has been using the lockdown as valuable time to teach her sons the importance of exercise on the mind.

MORE: Mum who battled depression uses exercise in lockdown to ‘help keep mind busy’Sam Bull and her two boys, Georgie, aged six, and Jesse, aged four, have been joining in with the Body Coach’s daily PE lessons as part of their home lockdown routines.

Mum Sam said this helps keep her “mind busy” as like many she tries to deal with the day-to-day struggles of the lockdown.

Throughout the restrictions, Olympians and local runners in Suffolk have backed the council’s ‘Keep Suffolk Moving’ campaign, to help keep the local community fit and healthy.

MORE: Olympians and local runners back calls to Keep Suffolk Moving in lockdownWhether exercising in houses, gardens, or during a session of daily exercise close to home, the information is all designed to keep you active while maintaining a safe social distance from those outside your household, with thousands visiting the site in the first week.

The team at Biofreeze has also analysed Google Trends to determine what the key searches were around fitness and physical activity, with an increase in the number of people looking online to find when the gyms will reopen.

In the past 30 days there has been a 300% increase in the number of searches for ‘gym reopening’ and a further 250% increase in the number of searches for ‘PureGym reopening’.

In addition, there has also been a 300% increase in online searches in the same time-frame for ‘best exercise to burn belly fat’ and a 100% increase for searches relating to ‘exercise for lower back pain’ – no doubt as a result of many people working from home.

Take part in our poll above to share how your exercising habits have changed and you can voice your opinions about exercising during the lockdown by getting in touch with us.