Abstract
BackgroundThe COVID-19 outbreak holds public health concerns. The stay-at-home increases sedentary behavior, with unintended adverse outcomes. Since organized recreation and sports facilities were closed, we aimed to study how the crisis of closure affected exercise habits and weight gain among the trainee population in Israel. We examined differences in weight gain among individuals with different PA activities and assessed their ability to adapt to digital media as an alternative training structure.MethodsA cross-sectional survey consisted of a multiple-choice questionnaire obtained using a web-based survey application. Trainees (1202) who exercised steadily anonymously answered the questionnaire sent by their coaches regarding their activity and weight gain during lockdown times.ResultsResults confirmed that 70% of Israelis trained less than their usual routine, 60% used digital media for training, 55% gained weight. Half of the respondents gained more than 2 kg, with an average increase of 1.2 kg. However, those who exhibited a higher physical activity level gained less weight. Using digital media for training was associated with higher physical activity levels. The aged population was less likely to use digital media.ConclusionsSince increased sedentary behavior could increase the risk for potential worsening of health conditions, health agencies should look for strategies, including digital remote media training to promote physical activity and subsequently, preventing the increased burden of future comorbidities worsening by a sedentary lifestyle.Approval: by the Helsinki ethics committee of Sheba Medical Center (6504–19-SMC).
Highlights
The COVID-19 outbreak holds public health concerns
Physical activity and exercising characteristics Twenty-five percent of participants exercised in the fitness room 3.49% exercised with a personal coach, participating in more than one organized activity (26.03%), or not (8.48%)
0.20% of the participants informed about health status in the past months and have no intention of returning to their previous physical activity (PA) types. 6.30% reported they were afraid to return to their previous PA types, and 6.10% have not decided whether or not to return to their previous PA regimes
Summary
The COVID-19 outbreak holds public health concerns. The stay-at-home increases sedentary behavior, with unintended adverse outcomes. People around the world stayed at home self-isolated due to the lockdown policy [1]. Staying at home for a prolonged period can lead to disturbing consequences such as weight gain, social isolation [2] and may cause a reduction in PA levels [2, 3]. Maintaining an active lifestyle at home including mainly PA, is extremely important for the general populations’ health, especially for people with additional risk factors including old adults during the quarantine [14,15,16]
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