Mobility restrictions affect mental health - more exercise in lockdown.

A representative survey conducted by DKV Deutsche Krankenversicherung AG in cooperation with the market research institute Ipsos provides key findings on the influence of the corona pandemic on the mental health and exercise habits of Germans.

Germans are taking more exercise

More people in Germany have made use of the travel and contact restrictions to exercise more and be active.

For example, about 22 percent of those surveyed said they were cycling more or doing more sports at home. A good quarter (26 percent) now walk or cycle on trips that they would have used a car or public transport for before the corona crisis. More than one in three (37 percent) stated that they were doing more walking. In the DKV Report 2018, fewer than half (43 percent) of those surveyed achieved the minimum activity recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) at work, during leisure time and when getting around.

Mental health has suffered

More than a third (39 percent) said that the restrictions put in place in response to the Covid 19 pandemic would have a 'somewhat negative or very negative' impact on their mental health if they continued for a longer period of time.

The older the respondents were, the more relaxed they were about the restrictions imposed by the corona crisis. More than half of those aged between 50 and 75 stated that the corona restrictions had no influence on their mental health. In contrast, young respondents (16-29 years) most frequently stated that the corona restrictions tended to have a positive effect on their mental health in the long term (26 percent).

'Exercise is absolutely essential for health. There was concern that the lockdown measures would further exacerbate the lack of exercise in some parts of the population', said Dr. Clemens Muth, Chairman of the Board of DKV. 'In this respect, the results are a positive surprise: after all, a good quarter of the population has recognised how important it is to actively address the limitations of lockdown with more exercise. This is pleasing and it is important as it counteracts the potential health effects of lockdown fatigue during the pandemic.'

Ipsos surveyed 1,060 people aged between 16 and 75 years in the period 13-14 May 2020.

The full results of the DKV study can be downloaded here free of charge as a PDF file in German.

Download study

For further information, please contact:

Ronny Winkler

ERGO Group AG

Media Relations

Tel +49 211 477-3012

ronny.winkler@ergo.de

media-relations@ergo.de

About the ERGO Group AG

ERGO is one of the major insurance groups in Germany and Europe. Worldwide, the Group is represented in around 30 countries and concentrates on Europe and Asia. Four separate units operate under the umbrella of the Group: ERGO Deutschland AG, ERGO International AG, ERGO Digital Ventures AG and ERGO Technology & Services Management AG. German, international, direct and digital business as well as the global management of IT and technology services are combined there.

About 38,000 people work for the Group, either as salaried employees or as full-time self-employed sales representatives. In 2019, ERGO recorded a total premium income of 19 billion euros and rendered benefits to customers (gross) of 17 billion euros. ERGO is part of Munich Re, one of the world's leading reinsurers and risk carriers.

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