Fitness and the Crisis: Impacts of COVID-19 on Active Living and Life Satisfaction in Austria

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted human lifestyles across the world. Lockdowns and home confinement decreased prior opportunities for everyday physical activity. To retrospectively assess how the Austrian population coped with these aspects of the crisis, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey from March to September 2021 using a structured questionnaire in German. In total, 1214 participants (56.9% females, mean age 37.0 years) living across Austria shared self-reported information on sociodemographic characteristics, indoor and outdoor physical activity, reasons for being outdoors, and life satisfaction before and after the emergence of the virus. As a result, overall indoor physical activity significantly decreased in a before–during COVID-19 crisis comparison, although exercising at home with online instructions increased by about 63%. Exercising outdoors increased overall, specifically in periurban forests and rural areas, both by about 9%. Life satisfaction decreased significantly by 19.7% (p < 0.001). Outdoor public places and natural environments gained importance due to restrictions affecting access to sport facilities. Further research is needed to evaluate benefits and therapeutic values of outdoor nature for physical and mental health in times of a global pandemic to maintain resilient societies, as it might impact future active living and life satisfaction.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction of Golfers: A Cross-Sectional Study in German-Speaking Countries

“…An international survey launched in April 2020, found relative reductions of 18% for this item and 16% for the total score of life satisfaction (Ammar et al, 2020b ), and an Austrian survey launched in March 2021, found decreases of −26% for this item's score and −20% for the total score life satisfaction (Jungwirth et al, 2021 ). Physical inactivity due to lockdowns, self-isolation, quarantine, homeschooling, and homeworking not only impacted fitness levels; but decreased scores in life satisfaction are commonly found in studies internationally (Ammar et al, 2020a , b ; Zhang et al, 2020 ; Eek et al, 2021 ; Jungwirth et al, 2021 ). Zhang and co-workers found life satisfaction decreases and distress increases in working people in China due to the exceptional disruptions of lives and work caused by COVID-19 (Zhang et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Participants rated six reasons for being outdoors (urge to move, recreation, social contacts, physical health, mental health, and distraction) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic on a 5-point Likert scale (1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: neutral, 4: agree, and 5: strongly agree) (Jungwirth et al, 2021 ).…”

“…The last part of the questionnaire assessed participants' life satisfaction before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using the standardized Short Life Satisfaction Questionnaire for Lockdowns (SLSQL) (Ammar et al, 2020a , b ; Jungwirth et al, 2021 ). The SLSQL is a concise and convenient tool based on these three items: “In most ways my life is close to my ideal,” “So far, I have gotten the important things I want in life,” and “I am satisfied with my life,” with the response options ranging from 1 to 5 (1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: neutral, 4: agree, and 5: strongly agree).…”

“…We calculated the sample size using G * Power 3.1.9.7 software for paired samples T -tests (Faul et al, 2007 ). For achieving a small effect size (Cohen's d = 0.15) for life satisfaction change as in previous studies (Ammar et al, 2020a , b ; Jungwirth et al, 2021 ), with a two-sided alpha of 0.05 and a statistical power of 95%, a total of 580 participants was required.…”

“…In line with previous studies on the health and wellbeing benefits of exposure to outdoor nature, people were eventually allowed to exercise outdoors during COVID-19 restrictions (Haluza et al, 2014 ; Kondo et al, 2018 ; Cervinka et al, 2020 ; Stieger et al, 2021 ). Empirical evidence on the importance of public urban green spaces and periurban nature as a cost-free, easy admissible alternative for indoor and outdoor sports facilities closed due to the crisis was collected (Haider et al, 2021 ; Jungwirth et al, 2021 ; Reinwald et al, 2021 ; Stieger et al, 2021 ). However, golf is a club-and-ball sport played on a widespread course with an arranged progression of normally 18 holes, and golfers aim at hitting balls into a series of holes on this course in as few strokes as possible.…”