scholarly journals How has the Practice of Physical Activity Changed During the COVID-19 Quarantine? A Preliminary Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 242-247
Author(s):  
Gaetano Raiola ◽  
Sara Aliberti ◽  
Giovanni Esposito ◽  
Gaetano Altavilla ◽  
Tiziana D'Isanto ◽  
...  

Research purpose. The present study aims to examine the changes in physical activity levels during the lockdown due to COVID-19 in Italy. In particular, it aims to evaluate the impact of physical exercise on psychological health, how much the home environment influences the desire to train and what people think about Smart-fitness and sport in general. Materials and methods. A sample of 268 people from the province of Salerno participated in the study, with an average age of 26 years. To achieve the tasks set, the study relied on the following methods: analysis of scientific literature, formulation and administration of a questionnaire and data analysis through methods of mathematical statistics. A structured questionnaire was prepared, disseminated through social networks. To analyze the data, the Social Sciences Statistical Package (SPSS) and descriptive statistics were used to calculate the demographic variables. The factor analysis was also calculated to verify the characteristics of the sport considered important by the participants. Results. The results obtained made it possible to understand the main type of physical activity carried out during the quarantine (aerobic activity 35%, functional training 27%, anaerobic activity 19%), the time dedicated to each session (52.8% practice for 1 hour) and the weekly frequency of the same (42.9% practice physical activity continuously more than ¾ times a week). It was also understood the reasons that prompted the interviewees to train, the way they planned their session and the equipment used. Finally, it was shown that the majority of the sample (64.17%) knew smart fitness considering it an interesting activity, and the influence attributed to the home environment by a scale of values from 1 to 5. Furthermore, the factor analysis shows us the most relevant aspects wich respondents attributed to sport. More frequently, respondents place greater importance on being loyal and correct, on the contrary, lower values are attributed to the importance of earning money, and not to disappoint others. Conclusions. The study found that COVID-19 did not stop athletes, who quickly adapted to the new situation. The home environment has proved to be very influential on the desire to train, despite this, they hope to return to the gym as soon as possible.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 446
Author(s):  
Anna Rutkowska ◽  
Katarzyna Kacperak ◽  
Sebastian Rutkowski ◽  
Luisa Cacciante ◽  
Pawel Kiper ◽  
...  

The lockdown with a prohibition of free mobility introduced in many countries has affected restrictions in physical activity (PA). The purpose of the study was to compare PA during restrictions and the “unfreezing” stage. The study group consisted of 89 healthy adult students. To assess the level of PA, a long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used. The first evaluation was carried out in the period from 16 to 20 April 2020 at the time of the lockdown and the second in the period from 11 to 14 May 2020 during the so-called “unfreezing”. The average total PA rate during the first measurement was 8640 metabolic equivalent (MET)-min/week and in the second, 10,560 MET-min/week. The analysis of total energy expenditure showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.029). The establishment of “unfreezing” laws for sport and recreation and the reduction of restrictions have significantly contributed to an increase in the overall level of PA. Based on our outcomes, we recommend students follow the scientific guidelines for undertaking PA (i.e., WHO) during the pandemic in order to maintain an appropriate pro-healthy dose of exercise.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifat Klein ◽  
Leonid Kalichman ◽  
Noy Chen ◽  
Sergio Susmallian

AbstractAfter breast cancer (BC) surgery, women may experience a physical decline. The effect of physical activity (PA) on the course of recovery after BC surgery has not yet been thoroughly examined. To analyze the impact of physical activity performed by women undergoing breast cancer surgery on measures of function, range of motion, and self-efficacy. A prospective study was carried out in 157 patients who underwent surgery for BC between October 2018 and April 2019, divided into four groups according to the intensity of PA with 6 months follow-up. 50 sedentary patients and 107 active patients were enrolled; the mean age was 52.6. Women who performed physical activity, moderate to vigorous, demonstrated lower function disabilities (QuickDASH 2.22) compared with inactivity or light physical activity (QuickDASH 7.0, p < 0.001), with better shoulder flexion (159.0° vs. 150.7°, p = 0.007) and abduction (159.5° vs. 152.2°, p = 0.008). Higher PA levels, displayed in higher self-efficacy reports (9.5 vs. 8.8, p = 0.002), and return to prior job status (0.005). The PA level does not influence pain at one, three and 6 months postoperatively (p = 0.278, p = 0.304 and p = 0.304 respectively). High PA levels increase the risk of axillary web syndrome (p = 0.041), although, it reduces the incidence of chronic pain (p = 0.007). Women who practice physical activity recover better from BC surgery than sedentary women. The higher the intensity and frequency of training, the better the results. Vigorous activity cause axillary web syndrome, despite, it has a beneficial effect on lowering the rate of chronic pain.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Slaght ◽  
M. Sénéchal ◽  
T. J. Hrubeniuk ◽  
A. Mayo ◽  
D. R. Bouchard

Background. Most adults choose walking as a leisure activity. However, many do not reach the international physical activity guidelines for adults, which recommend moderate intensity aerobic activity for at least 150 minutes/week in bouts of 10 minutes. Purpose. This systematic review provides an update on the walking cadence required to reach moderate intensity in adults and older adults, identifies variables associated with reaching moderate intensity, and evaluates how walking cadence intensity should be measured, but the main purpose is to report the interventions that have been attempted to prescribe walking cadence to increase time spent at moderate intensity or other outcomes for adults and older adults. Methods. SportDISCUS, Scopus, and PubMed databases were searched. We identified 3,917 articles and 31 were retained for this systematic review. Only articles written in English were included. Results. In general, 100 steps/minute is prescribed for adults to achieve moderate intensity, but older adults may require a higher cadence. Currently, few studies have explored using walking cadence prescription as an intervention to increase physical activity levels. Conclusion. Prescribing walking cadence as a way to increase physical activity levels has potential as a practical and useful strategy, but more evidence is required to assess its ability to increase physical activity levels at moderate intensity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-30
Author(s):  
Sidra Qureshi ◽  
Huma Riaz ◽  
Malik Muhammad Ali Awan ◽  
Kiran Khushnood ◽  
Rida Hussain

Objective: To determine the association of depression, physical activity (PA) levels and general psychological health among physical therapy students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among students of physiotherapy department at Rawalpindi and Islamabad Institutions, from August 2015 to January 2016. Five hundred students were recruited using non-probability convenient sampling. The data was collected through a questionnaire that comprised of demographic information, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), General Health Questionnaire-12(GHQ-12) and Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA). The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and correlation analysis was performed to see the relationship amongst depression, PA and general psychological health. Results: Majority of the students (42.6%) had mild depression. However, 64.8% students had no psychological distress. Moreover, 33.4% of the students were involved in aerobic activities and majority of them (37.6%) were not doing any activities to improve flexibility and increase muscle strength. There was an inverse correlation between RAPA and BDI-II (p<0.001) and a positive association between RAPA and GHQ-12 (p<0.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that majority of the students had mild depression but their general psychological health was not affected as they were involved in routine physical activity. The result of this study provides evidence that there is a negative relation between physical activity and depression and a positive relation between physical activity and general psychological health.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Reimers ◽  
Verena Heidenreich ◽  
Hans-Joachim Bittermann ◽  
Guido Knapp ◽  
Carl-Detlev Reimers

Abstract Background: Main symptoms of the restless legs syndrome (RLS) are sleep onset insomnia and difficulty to maintain sleep. Previous studies showed that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of developing RLS. However, the relationships of physical activity on sleep quality parameters in subjects suffering from RLS have not been investigated by applying accelerometry. Thus, the present study investigates the impact of physical activity during the day (7-12 h, 12-18 h, 18-23 h) on sleep quality in subject suffering from idiopathic RLS as well as their intensity and extent of physical activity by applying a real-time approach.Methods: In a sample of 47 participants suffering from idiopathic RLS, physical activity and sleep quality were captured over one week by using accelerometers. For data analysis physical activity levels and step counts during three periods of a day (morning, afternoon, evening) were correlated with sleep quality parameters of the following night.Results: In this observational study, significant correlations of physical activity with the sleep parameters were rarely confirmed (exception: negative correlation of steps in the morning with periodic leg movements in sleep and negative correlation of physical activity in the evening and total sleep period). However, the physical activity levels of the participants were unexpectedly high compared to population-level data and variance in physical activity was low. The average activity was 13,817 (SD=4,086) steps and 347 (SD=117) minutes of moderate physical activity per day in females and 10,636 (SD=3,748) steps and 269 (SD=69) minutes of moderate physical activity in males, respectively. However, the participants conducted no vigorous physical activity.Conclusions: To investigate the effects of daily physical activity and RLS symptoms interventional studies with different intensities of physical activities at different points of time during the day are needed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre-Charles Gauthier ◽  
Marie-Eve Mathieu

Introduction Taste is a key sensory modulator of eating behaviour and thus energy intake. The effects of acute exercise has recently been confirmed especially regarding sweet and salty tastes. Physical activity is a safe and effective countermeasure to certain types of chemosensory losses, especially in older populations. Knowing that taste can be impaired with increased adiposity, it is unknown if the adoption of an active lifestyle on a regular basis can mitigate such impairments. Methods Data were extracted from NHANES 2013-2014 database. Perception of salt and bitter tastes for Tongue Tip Test and Whole Mouth Test, physical activity levels over an 8-9-day period and adiposity were analyzed. Moderation analyses were used to study the impact of adiposity on taste perceptions, with physical activity level as the moderator. Results The 197 participants (130 males) included in this project had a mean+/-standard deviation age of 49.1+/-5.2 years, a mean body fat percentage of 31.7+/-7.6% and mean daily physical activity levels of 11 084+/-3531 Monitor-Independent Movement Summary unit (MIMS). The positive association between adiposity and both bitter Tongue Tip Test and overall result (salt+bitter) of Tongue Tip Test were moderated by the adoption of an active lifestyle, with better taste scores observed in individuals achieving higher physical activity levels. When moderation analysis were stratified by gender, the effect of physical activity was no longer significant. Perspectives This study is the first to evaluate the influence of an active lifestyle on the preservation of some taste perceptions across a wide range of adiposity levels. While differences in taste can be observed regarding body fat percentage, physical activity moderates that relation only when men and women are analysed together.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Sanders ◽  
Karen Tindall ◽  
Alex Gyani ◽  
Susannah Hume ◽  
Min-Taec Kim ◽  
...  

Importance: Wearable devices are widely used in an effort to increase physical activity and consequently to improve health. The evidence for this is patchy, and it does not appear that wearables alone are sufficient to achieve this end.Objective: To determine whether social comparisons in a workplace setting can increase the effectiveness of wearables at promoting physical activity.Design: A four week randomized controlled trial conducted in November 2015 with employees of a large firm. Participants were randomised to one of two treatment conditions (control vs social comparison) at team level, and teams are formed into ‘leagues’ based on their activity levels before the study. Impact is measured through wearable devices issued to all participants throughout the study duration.Setting: Offices of a large Australian employer.Participants: 646 employees of an Australian employer, issued with wearable activity trackers prior to the beginning of the study. Intervention(s) (for clinical trials) or Exposure(s) (for observational studies). Participants used a wearable device to track steps. Participants had been wearing these for at least four weeks at the outset of the trial, establishing a baseline level of activity. Teams (n=646, k=49), were randomly assigned to either control (k=24), or a social comparison (k=25) treatment. All participants took part in a step-count competition between their team and others at their employer, in which their team’s ranking within a mini-league of five teams, as well as their own activity was communicated each week. The control group had access to the usual features of the wearable, while the social comparison group received additional information about the performance of the other teams in their league, including how far behind and ahead their nearest rival teams were.Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s): Number of steps taken per day on average, measured by the wearable devices issued to all participants. Results: A total of 646 participants were included in the study. Compared to the control, participants in the social comparison group took significantly more steps per day during the trial period (an additional 620 steps, 8.2%, p&lt;0.001). These effects are largest in both relative and absolute terms for people whose prior steps were in the bottom quartile of steps (an additional 948 steps, 40%, p&lt;0.001), while the effect on people with highest levels of activity was a precisely estimated null (an additional 6 steps, 0.01%, p=0.98).Conclusions and Relevance: Social comparison increased the effectiveness of wearables at improving physical activity, particularly for those with the lowest baseline activity.


2021 ◽  
pp. 240-251
Author(s):  
Márcia Greguol ◽  
Cristiana Conti ◽  
Bruno Marson Malagodi ◽  
Bruna Barboza Seron ◽  
Elaine Cappellazzo Souto ◽  
...  

The global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 has profoundly changed the daily life of most of the world population. People with disabilities have been particularly affected by these changes, which often have accentuated their isolation and marginalization also due to greater difficulties in accessing healthcare services. People with disabilities have also been impacted in relation to their ability to participate in physical activity with even more adverse consequences for their quality of life and health. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity practice of people with disabilities and to understand the changes that caregivers have perceived for the participation in physical activity of this specific population. It emerged that, regardless of the type of disability, people with this condition experienced drastic reductions in their physical activity levels during the pandemic and in most cases did not have access to any type of remote guidance. Furthermore, a higher prevalence of sedentary behavior and negative changes in eating habits have been reported by the caregivers, highlighting the need for specific strategies and initiatives for people with disabilities to maintain healthy habits and a physically active lifestyle.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Ye ◽  
Li Zhou ◽  
Joseph Yeboah ◽  
Peter H Brubaker ◽  
Alain G Bertoni

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a growing public health problem which is the leading cause of hospitalization. About half of people who develop HF die within 5 years of diagnosis. Recent evidence suggests that physical inactivity may be an important risk for HF. However, the importance of physical activity in the prevention and treatment have not been adequately recognized. Self-reported physical activity can provide insights into the impact of lifestyle behaviors on mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between physical activity and HF in a nationally representative sample of United States (US) adults. Methods: The 2007-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data collection cycles were used for this analysis. Participants aged 65 and older with HF were defined as those who answered “yes” to the question: “Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had congestive HF?” Frequency and duration of self-reported moderate-intensity (“Days moderate recreational activities” and “Minutes moderate recreational activities”) and vigorous-intensity Days vigorous recreational activities” and “Minutes vigorous recreational activities”) physical activity were collected through questionnaires as well in all data cycles. We used 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Older Adults, which recommended that most older adults (age≥65 years) participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week as our cut-off points for calculating moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Results: Between 2007-2008 and 2015-2016, the percentage of US adults ≥65 years with HF increased from 2.76% to 3.69% (p=0.04). Although a similar percentage of participants who met the criteria of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week was noted in both groups from 2007 to 2016 (on average, HF: 56.9% vs. HF-free: 56.7%, respectively, p>0.05), more HF-free participants reported at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity recreational activities per week compared to HF participants in each calendar year (82.8% vs. 66.7%, 85.0% vs. 70.0%, 83.5% vs. 55.0%, 87.0% vs.75%, 85.2% vs. 63.6%, respectively, p<0.01). Additionally, among those who reported activities, older adults with HF were less than 20 times as likely to report moderate or vigorous recreational activities compared to those without HF. Conclusions: Our findings illustrate lower self-reported physical recreational activities, especially vigorous activities, in older participants who report a diagnosis of HF and more participants without HF report vigorous-intensity recreational activities. Future study should focus on understanding the physical limitations of HF patients, which is paramount in developing cardiac rehabilitation strategies to improve their function capacity.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document