The aim of the study was to investigate differences in the frequency and types of engagement in sports before, during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stay-at-home order in Tyrol, Austria. Study design: A representative population survey was conducted. Methods: A sample of Tyroleans (N ¼ 511) was questioned by a market research institute via an online questionnaire or telephone survey. Results: During the stay-at-home order, participants engaged less in sports than before and after the restrictions. However, within-group analyses revealed increasing sport participation in less active groups when comparing the pre-and post-COVID-19 period. Conclusions: Despite the restrictions during the stay-at-home order, respondents did engage in sports and promoted their health. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to investigate the long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis on sports and exercise behaviour as well as the extent to which sports policy measures may be able increase sports participation.

BackgroundIn Alpine regions, which are very similar due to their topographical location and their wide-ranging sports offerings, the restrictions on sports activities during the COVID-19 pandemic differed in type and level: while in some regions (Tyrol, South Tyrol, Trentino), all sports activities were forbidden except for walking near the home, in other regions (Upper Bavaria, Vorarlberg), people were allowed to go hiking and running during the first lockdown.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the change in physical activity (PA) behavior in different Alpine regions (Upper Bavaria, Vorarlberg, Tyrol, South Tyrol, Trentino) over four periods in 2020, to examine the effects of COVID-19 measures of varying severity on PA behavior and to identify factors associated with a change in PA over time.MethodsA retrospective online survey was conducted (N = 2975) from December 2020, to January 2021. Using the questionnaire of the Eurobarometer 472 study, PA behavior was measured over four periods: before COVID-19 (March), during the first lockdown (March and April), during the relaxed period (May-October) and during the second lockdown (November and December) in 2020.ResultsDuring the first (M = 5.0h, SD = 4.5) and the second lockdowns (M = 4.9h, SD = 4.3), the participants (age: 42 years, overly active in sports) engaged less in sports than before (M = 5.9h, SD = 4.8) and during the relaxed period in summer (M = 6.4h, SD = 5.0) (average number of hours per week being physically active). A larger percentage of participants from Alpine regions with severe restrictions (Tyrol, South Tyrol, Trentino) decreased their PA during the first lockdown as compared to participants from Upper Bavaria and Vorarlberg with a less strict first lockdown. Those with psychological distress, male participants, and individuals with decreased physical health and less free time during COVID-19 were more likely to reduce their PA.ConclusionsDespite a short-term negative effect of COVID-19 restrictions on exercise participation during lockdowns, the majority of respondents returned to their original levels of PA during the relaxed COVID-19 phases. As a comparison of Alpine regions shows, particularly severe COVID-19 measures seem to have reduced PA with potential negative health effects. For the future, policy makers and sports organizations should collaborate to support the population in their PA behavior during pandemics to outweigh restrictions.

Background: Exercise has considerable effects on physical and psychological health. Anxiolytic effects of climbing exercise have been found in people suffering from depression. However, there are no studies on patients with severe anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) practicing climbing as add-on treatment. Additionally, many studies on physical therapy fail to use adequate active control groups. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the feasibility of a four-week climbing exercise program for patients with anxiety disorders or PTSD in comparison to a standard exercise treatment and a social control group. Methods: Outpatients diagnosed with anxiety disorders or PTSD (F 40, F 41, F 43.1 according to ICD-10) were randomly assigned to (a) climbing exercise (n = 27), (b) Nordic walking exercise (n = 23), or (c) control condition (n = 23) providing the same amount of social contact for eight sessions of 90 minutes each. Psychological parameters (symptom severity, worry symptoms, self-efficacy, quality of life) and biological parameters were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the four-week program. Additionally, follow-up assessments were conducted three and six months after the program ended. Results: Sixty outpatients (75% female) aged 18–65 years with a longstanding history of a mental disorder (>10 years) and classified as treatment-resistant (95%) and with averaging 3.8 psychiatric comorbidities completed the pilot trial. After participation, symptoms of anxiety disorders were significantly reduced ( p = 0.003), and health-related characteristics significantly improved (depression symptoms: p < 0.001, worry symptoms: p < 0.001, self-efficacy: p < 0.001, quality of life-physical health: p = 0.002, quality of life-psychological health: p = 0.006) in all groups. The feasibility of conducting climbing exercises for the patient groups could be demonstrated, and a general acceptance in the groups was recorded. No significant time-by-group interactions were found. At the completion of the program, psychological parameters improved, while biological parameters remained the same in all three groups. Conclusions: Participation in the climbing group as well as in Nordic walking and social contact groups demonstrated beneficial results in patients with anxiety disorders and PTSD with severe mental burden. Nevertheless, climbing did not show any additional clinically relevant benefits compared to Nordic walking or social contact. Studies with larger sample sizes and qualitative insights are needed to further evaluate the possible benefits of climbing in this population.

Background Smoking is the most common substance use disorder among people with mental illness. In contrast to people without mental illness, among whom the proportion of smokers has declined in recent decades, the proportion of smokers among people with mental illness remains high. There is a growing body of literature suggesting the use of exercise interventions in combination with smoking cessation in people without mental illness, but to our knowledge the available studies on this treatment option in people with mental illness have not been systematically reviewed. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess the effectiveness of exercise interventions as an adjunctive treatment for smoking cessation in people with mental illness. Methods Electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Sport Discus and Base) were searched for randomised controlled trials and prospective single-group studies that investigated exercise interventions in combination with smoking cessation programmes alone or in comparison with a control group in people with mental illness. A meta-analysis using the Mantel–Haenszel fixed-effect model was conducted to estimate the overall effect of treatment on smoking cessation (abstinence rate at the end of the intervention and at 6-month follow-up). Results Six studies, five randomised controlled trials and one study with a prospective single-group design, were included in the systematic review and four randomised controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis found a significantly higher abstinence rate after additional exercise at the end of the intervention [risk ratio (RR) 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13–1.94], but not at the 6-month follow-up (RR 1.34, 95% CI 0.89–2.04). Conclusions Exercise appears to be an effective adjunctive therapy to temporarily increase abstinence rates in individuals with mental illness at the end of the intervention. However, due to the small number of included studies and some risk of bias in the included studies, the results should be treated with caution. Therefore, future studies with larger samples are needed to provide a more accurate estimate of the effect in people with mental illness. Registration The systematic review and meta-analysis were registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (registration number: CRD42020178630).

IntroductionAs a planetary health challenge, COVID-19 forced governments around the world to take action to prevent the most severe consequences resulting from the spread of the virus. These measures ranged from stay-at-home orders to limitations on indoor and outdoor activities, travel restrictions and the cancelation of sports events, all of which affected people's leisure activities and daily lives. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine changes in sports-related leisure behavior in terms of attending major sports events, following major sports events via media, travel intentions and the use of new sports offerings. Furthermore, we aimed to identify variables associated with changed sports-related leisure behavior during the pandemic.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey (n = 1,809) was conducted from December 2020 to January 2021 in the Alpine regions of Austria, Germany and Italy. Sports-related leisure behavior was investigated for changes during the pandemic compared to the time before the coronavirus outbreak and for differences between the three countries.ResultsResults showed that the self-reported importance of attending major sports events decreased significantly in the Alpine regions of all three countries during COVID-19. Prevailing restrictions affected vacation planning for over 80% of participants. A majority of approximately three quarters of respondents stated they had spent their holidays at home during the travel restrictions. Sports facilities and opportunities played an important role in the choice of vacation destination for more than half of participants. A binary logistic regression showed significant correlations between vacation planning during COVID-19 and the variables gender, income, quality of life and mental health. 31.9% of all respondents tried new sports offerings during extended restrictions, with a large proportion (72.4%) using apps, online tools or courses. Furthermore, approximately 30% of respondents increased their e-sports consumption.DiscussionThe results showed that sports-related leisure behavior in Alpine regions changed in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the future, policymakers as well as sports and leisure providers should react to these behavioral changes and adapt their portfolio and services to meet consumers92 demands.