Abstract
Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to reductions in physical activity (PA) worldwide. Leading public health organizations have recommended the use of online exercise classes (OEC) to compensate the loss of regular exercise classes. As of now, no data are available on the uptake of OEC and on users’ attitudes. The aim of the current online survey was to assess the use of and attitudes towards OEC in Germany. Respondents indicated awareness and use of OEC, and levels of agreement with statements on OEC. Frequency of awareness and use of OEC according to PA status were calculated with contingency tables and the Χ2 test. Differences between users and non-users were tested with the Student’s t-test and the Mann–Whitney U test. Data on attitudes are presented as percentages, and Spearman correlations were calculated between attitudes and activity status, frequency of use, educational attainment, age and body mass index. A total of 979 datasets were analyzed. Of the respondents, 681 were aware of OEC and 180, 118 and 84 used them <1 per week, 1–2 per week and ≥3 per week, respectively. Significantly more active respondents were aware of and used OEC compared to less active respondents. All in all, regular OEC use was quite limited. OEC was differentially attractive to people according to PA status, frequency of use, BMI and age. Tailoring OEC to current non-users and adding motivational support might enhance the regular use of OEC.
Highlights
The lung disease COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, reached the European continent in January 2020 and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease a pandemic on the 11th March 2020 [1]
Traditional public health measures such as shelter-in-place orders, social distancing and quarantine were introduced by a large number of countries to curb the spread of the virus and lower incidence rates and mortality [2]
The aim of the present study was to determine whether respondents knew of and, if they did, used online exercise classes (OEC) and with which frequency in Germany during the first COVID-19 related lockdown in the spring of 2020
Summary
The lung disease COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, reached the European continent in January 2020 and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease a pandemic on the 11th March 2020 [1]. Traditional public health measures such as shelter-in-place orders, social distancing and quarantine were introduced by a large number of countries to curb the spread of the virus and lower incidence rates and mortality [2]. In Germany, the lockdown measures affected all non-essential businesses, including sports clubs, fitness studios, activity trails and playgrounds [3]. Mathematical modelling projections suggest that social distancing might be intermittently necessary as long as into 2022 [4]. (spring 2021) many countries are in the third wave and have had to impose lockdowns again
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