Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults

Abstract

Whether the COVID-19 pandemic has long-lasting effects on physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior in the vulnerable older adult population is uncertain. A total of 387 older adults (75 ± 6 years) completed a retrospective questionnaire on time spent sitting, walking, and performing aerobic and muscle-strengthening PA before, during the first three months, and one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether the participants met the aerobic and muscle-strengthening PA guidelines was then determined. Of the 387 older adults, 376 (97%) were vaccinated. The participants completed 361 ± 426, 293 ± 400, and 454 ± 501 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic PA before, during the first three months, and one year into the pandemic, respectively. During the same time periods, the participants performed muscle-strengthening PA 87 ± 157, 68 ± 163, and 90 ± 176 min/week, walked 2.4 ± 1.7, 2.3 ± 1.7, and 2.6 ± 1.9 h/day, and sat 6.2 ± 2.9, 7.4 ± 3.1, and 6.1 ± 2.9 h/day, respectively. Aerobic PA, muscle-strengthening PA, and walking time decreased, whereas sitting time increased, during the first three months of the pandemic (p < 0.05), and then returned to pre-pandemic levels after one year (p < 0.05). The percentage of participants meeting both aerobic and muscle-strengthening PA guidelines decreased during the first three months of the pandemic (48.9% to 33.5%, p < 0.001), but returned to pre-pandemic levels one year later (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly decreased PA and increased sitting time in older adults; however, both PA and sitting time returned to pre-pandemic levels after one year.

The role of socio-demographic factors and physical functioning in the intra- and interpersonal variability of older adults’ sedentary time: an observational two-country study

“…Finally, the data were collected ten years ago. Important events or changes, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, might have affected older adults’ lifestyles [ 56 ]. As such, the variability in sedentary behavior may differ for the current cohort of older adults.…”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular health behaviors and risk factors: A new troubling normal that may be here to stay

“…That is, overweight or obese individuals experienced greater increases in sitting time compared to their normal weight counterparts, and those individuals who met the PA guidelines prior to the pandemic had larger reductions in both aerobic and muscle-strengthening PA during the pandemic. 53 While the exact source for the return of PA and sedentary time one-year after the pandemic is uncertain and likely multifactorial, these findings optimistically suggest that pandemic-related impacts on activity levels is not long-lasting and in fact reversible among populations who are highly prone to have severe COVID-19 outcomes. 4 , 57 Additional efforts should therefore be placed to highlight the importance of PA and longitudinal studies are needed to examine the effects of physical inactivity and SB on health.…”

“…A recent retrospective study examined effects of PA and SB among 387 older adults (aged 75 ± 6 years) during the pandemic. 53 Before COVID-19, 67.9%, 61.9%, and 48.9% of older adults met the aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and both PA guidelines, respectively. During the first 3 months of the pandemic (March–May 2020) the percentage of older adults meeting aerobic, muscle-strengthening, or both PA guidelines significantly decreased to 54.8% (−13.1%), 46.1% (−15.8%), and 33.5% (−15.4%), respectively, with a concomitant increase in sedentary time by 7.4 ± 3.1 h/day.…”

“…Regardless of sex, age, race, or body composition, PA has been found to be beneficial in reducing stress, improving sleep, lowering CVD risk factors, obesity, and systemic inflammation as well as improving mood and cognitive function. 53 Currently, PA guidelines recommend at least 150 min per week of moderate intensity aerobic PA or 75 min of vigorous aerobic PA. Despite these benefits, many struggle to adhere to these recommendations.…”

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on physical activity behaviours of older adults who participated in a community-based exercise program prior to the lockdown

“…Lee and colleagues [10] also reported that a 2-month lockdown in Singapore increased depressive symptoms and decreased physical activity among older people, but more targeted interventions would mitigate the negative impacts of the future lockdown. There has been an increase in studies related to understanding older adults' physical activity experiences and behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic [e.g., [11][12][13]. For instance, public health guidance published in 2021 by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK suggests that digital and mobile health interventions could be an effective health tool for supporting community-dwelling older people physically active [14] or videos can be an effective tool for older adults to cope with stress and stay physically active [15].…”