Ireland won gold in the race to get fit during the pandemic Independent.ie 5 hrs ago Lynne Kelleher Irish people have outstripped other nations around the world in taking more exercise during the Covid-19 pandemic. An international study, which gauged the rate of physical activity in 11 countries on four continents during pandemic restrictions, found more than a third of Irish people increased their physical activity during lockdown. Ireland had the highest percentage of people who increased exercise in the midst of social distancing rules, followed by Singapore. This increased activity bucked the global trend. Residents in China and Brazil, which were among those worst hit by the virus, reported much lower levels of exercise.