The COVID-19 Conundrum: Keeping safe while becoming inactive. A rapid review of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and exercise in adults by gender and age

• Published in: PloS one 2022-01, Vol.17 (1), p.e0263053-e0263053
• Main Authors: Christensen, Alex, Bond, Suzanne, McKenna, James
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Age; Age Factors; Aged; Biology and Life Sciences; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - psychology; Data collection; Exercise; Exercise - psychology; Exercise therapy; Female; Gender; Health aspects; Humans; Life Style; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Motivation; Older people; Pandemics - prevention & control; Patient outcomes; People and Places; Physical activity; Physical Distancing; Physical fitness; Physical training; Psychological aspects; Public health; Questionnaires; Research and Analysis Methods; SARS-CoV-2 - pathogenicity; Searching; Sedentary Behavior; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Sex Factors; Social Sciences; Systematic review; Walking
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263053

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has severely impacted lifestyles worldwide. Responses to COVID-19 have intentionally restricted the factors that encourage regular and frequent PA; opportunity, capability and motivation. However, the effects of these restrictions are likely to have differed by gender and age and different intensities of PA. This rapid review builds on previous evidence by synthesising the global impact of COVID-19 on adult PA through specific intensities and types of PA and evaluating this by gender and age. A rapid systematic search of seven electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Academic Search Complete, APA PsycInfo, and APA PsycArticles) was performed from December 2019 to January 2021. Studies investigating adult change in PA, exercise or sedentary behaviour due to COVID-19 were included. From an initial database search identifying 3,863 articles, 66 remained for synthesis after applying eligibility criteria. Results demonstrate decreases among all intensities and types of PA-walking (6 out of 7 papers), moderate-only (5 out of 6 papers), vigorous-only (5 out of 6 papers) and MVPA (4 out of 5 papers); as well as overall PA (14-72% participants reported a decrease). Reflecting that COVID-19 responses were designed to have universal effects, they also achieved whole-society decreases in PA behaviour, accented in older age groups. There is a universal need to address the low levels of PA post-COVID-19. The consequences of decreased PA across all intensities has powerful, potentially recoverable, impacts. Universal declines have implications for public health officials and PA advocates for post-COVID-19 initiatives to promote PA.