Physical Activity Participation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Physical activity is a significant factor in enhancing quality of life due to its various physical and mental benefits. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2010), the recommended amount of physical activity for adults (>17 years old) is a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity every week, while the recommended amount for children and adolescents (5-17 years old) is at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. However, when coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic on March 11th, 2020 (WHO, 2020a), people around the world had to adapt to new lifestyles involving shelter-in-place and social distancing orders. This phenomenon has disrupted the ability to reach the recommended amount of physical activity for people of all ages (Carvalho & Gois, 2020). The sedentary behaviors adopted during this unprecedented time could, for many people, give rise to an unhealthy lifestyle, which by extension may lead to an increased risk of coronavirus. The purpose of this paper is to review the issue and discuss ways to participate in health-enhancing physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.