Physical activity level during COVID-19 global pandemic and its relation to well-being

Abstract

Many countries implemented lockdowns to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Turkey is one of these countries where people were obliged to experience altered daily routines in May 2020. We aimed to identify physical activity level and well-being of people during COVID-19 outbreak and investigate the relationship among them. An on-line questionnaire was used to obtain data regarding descriptive characteristics and exercise habits. Individuals volunteered to participate in the study filled the questionnaire published in an on-line survey platform (Google Forms) in May 2020. Physical activity level was questioned and well-being of the individuals was measured by WHO-5 Well Being Index. Spearman and Kendall analyses were used. The survey was completed by 378 adults. Approximately three quarters (75.1%) of participants self-reported that they did not do any vigorous physical activity and nearly half of them (48.1%) self-reported not to do any moderate physical activity. Well Being Score was positively correlated with vigorous physical activity (days per week) (p=0.039, r=0.106). Our results showed that increased physical activity level is associated with improved well-being in adults. Effective strategies such as doing regular physical exercise should be used to decrease negative effects of pandemic on well-being and physical activity level.