Impact Of COVID-19 Stay At Home Public Health Restrictions On Physical Activity

Abstract

The public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed recreational physical activity behavior. Due to ‘Stay at Home’ restrictions, gyms and indoor exercise facilities were closed by public health orders in many states. PURPOSE: To understand how recreational physical activity behaviors changed based on state-wide COVID-19 Stay at Home restrictions. METHODS: Data on recreational physical activity behavior from three time periods were collected via a retrospective internet survey (n = 144) based on a modified International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Respondents reported days per week and duration of walking, vigorous, and moderate physical activity before, during, and after Stay at Home restrictions in a Western state (March 26 - May 1, 2020.) Days per week data were analyzed across time periods with a one-way repeated measures ANOVA. Friedman’s test was used to analyze minutes per week data across time periods. RESULTS: The one-way ANOVA examining days of vigorous physical activity showed a significant effect (F(2,286) = 4.48, p = .012). Post hoc analysis using the Holm correction revealed a statistically significant decrease in days of vigorous physical activity from before to after restrictions (mean difference = .39 days, p = .014). The analysis of weekly minutes of activity showed a significant difference between time periods for walking (Χ2(2) = 22.44, p < .001). Conover’s post hoc comparisons with Bonferroni correction indicated minutes of walking were greater during the restrictions (Mdnd = 150) compared to before (Mdnb = 110, p < .001) and after (Mdna = 120, p = .002). Vigorous physical activity was also different across time periods (Χ2(2) = 6.73, p = .035), with median vigorous physical activity being lower after restrictions (Mdna = 90) than before (Mdnb = 120) with p = .039. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 restrictions had an impact on recreational physical activity. Walking minutes per week increased during restrictions and returned to pre-restriction levels afterwards, with no significant change in number of days of walking per week. Vigorous activity decreased across the time periods in days and duration and did not return to initial levels. It may be important to consider and promote alternative physical activity options in public health situations that require restrictions.