Physical Activity Behavior and COVID-19 Lockdowns [COVID-19 and Physical Activity Series]

Physical Activity Behavior Before, During and After COVID-19 Restrictions: A Longitudinal Smartphone Tracking Study of 5,395 UK Adults by Ms. McCarthy and co-authors explored patterns of tracked physical activity from walking, running and cycling in the UK before, during and after COVID-19 restrictions.  Tracked longitudinal weekly minutes of physical activity were captured using BetterPoints—a free, publicly available smartphone app—between January and June 2020.  Ms. McCarthy and co-authors found that, at baseline (the week of January 22, 2020), 51% of users were active (>150 minutes of physical activity per week), 23% were fairly active (30-149 minutes), and 26% were inactive (0-29 minutes).  During the week lockdown was announced (March 23, 2020), the median change in physical activity was 30 minutes less than baseline. By the first full week of lockdown (week of March 25, 2020), the median change in physical activity was 57 minutes less than baseline, representing a 37% reduction in weekly minutes of physical activity.  According to UK lockdown guidance, people were allowed to spend time outside for physical activity except for those in quarantine or isolation.  Ms. McCarthy and co-authors confirmed that 63% of people decreased their physical activity levels between baseline and the first week of COVID-19 restrictions, 16% did not change, and 21% increased. Younger people showed more physical activity before lockdown but the least physical activity after lockdown, while older people (65+) remained more active throughout lockdown, and increased their physical activity levels as soon as lockdown was lifted.  Ms. McCarthy and co-authors concluded that physical activity levels among those who were active at baseline showed a significant decrease compared with those who were fairly active or inactive, and inactive people remained consistently inactive throughout lockdown.  Significant differences by age group and prior physical activity levels suggests that the government’s response to COVID-19 needs to...consider the impact on younger age groups, encourage everyone to increase their physical activity and not assume that people will recover prior levels of physical activity on their own. 

McCarthy H., Potts, H., Fisher, A. (2020). Physical Activity Behavior Before, During and After COVID-19 Restrictions: A Longitudinal Smartphone Tracking Study of 5395 UK Adults.  Journal of Medical Internet Research.