ObjectiveIn March 2020, several countries banned unnecessary outdoor activities during COVID-19, commonly called ‘lockdowns. These lockdowns have the potential to impact associated levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Given the numerous health outcomes associated with physical activity and sedentary behaviour, the aim of this review was to summarise literature that investigated differences in physical activity and sedentary behaviour before vs during the COVID-19 lockdown.Design, data sources and eligibility criteriaElectronic databases were searched from November 2019 to October 2020 using terms and synonyms relating to physical activity, sedentary behaviour and COVID-19. The coprimary outcomes were changes in physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour captured via device-based measures or self-report tools. Risk of bias was measured using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.ResultsSixty six articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review (total n=86 981). Changes in physical activity were reported in 64 studies, with the majority of studies reporting decreases in physical activity and increases in sedentary behaviours during their respective lockdowns across several populations, including children and patients with a variety of medical conditions.ConclusionGiven the numerous physical and mental benefits of increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviour, public health strategies should include the creation and implementation of interventions that promote safe physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour should other lockdowns occur.

Background Globally, populations are ageing. Typically, physical activity levels decline and health worsens as we age; however, estimates of the impact of physical inactivity for population health often fail to specifically focus on older adults. Methods Multiple databases were searched for systematic reviews and/or meta‐analyses of longitudinal observational studies, investigating the relationship between physical activity and any physical or mental health outcome in adults aged ≥60 years. Quality of included reviews was assessed using AMSTAR. Results Twenty‐four systematic reviews and meta‐analyses were included. The majority of reviews were of moderate or high methodological quality. Physically active older adults (≥60 years) are at a reduced risk of all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality, breast and prostate cancer, fractures, recurrent falls, ADL disability and functional limitation and cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and depression. They also experience healthier ageing trajectories, better quality of life and improved cognitive functioning. Conclusion This review of reviews provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of epidemiological evidence from previously conducted research to assess the associations of physical activity with physical and mental health outcomes in older adults.

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, different measures have been implemented by governments from each affected country. Such measures usually involve restrictions on the movement of citizens, and have had a profound effect on usual activities and timetables. As a result of school closures and strict restrictions regarding going outside home, children have been one of the most disadvantaged population groups during the lockdown period. We therefore aimed to investigate potential health risk behaviors amongst isolated pre-school and school-aged children. We retrieved relevant articles from MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and Scopus databases to describe identified health-related behaviors (i.e. screen exposure, environmental influence, physical activity and fitness, sedentariness, sleep patterns, eating habits, psychological response, body composition, and injuries) in relation to social isolation and social deprivation of children without previous illness or conditions. This review depicts the potential health-related behaviors according to related literature, and put the focus on future short and long-term sequels of social isolation. Socio-affective complications and insufficient physical activity are underscored as two of the main concerns, particularly among socio-economic deprived children. Both issues could be effectively addressed with either adequate parental or community guidance.

Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated global response have significantly altered people's behaviour, likely decreasing physical activity, increasing sitting and screen time, while simultaneously worsening mental health. The objective of this project was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19-related public health restrictions on physical activity, sedentary time, mental health, and their interrelations. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 3,052 US adults between April 3 rd-7 th , 2020. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling from mass emails to faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Iowa State University and additional snowball sampling resulting in responses from all 50 states and the District of Colombia. Moderate and vigorous physical activity, sitting, and screen time, both pre-and post-COVID-19-related restrictions, along with currently-followed public health restrictions were self-reported. Current mental health was reported including stress (Perceived Stress Scale-4), loneliness (3-item Loneliness), positive mental health (Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), social connectedness (Lubben Social Network Scale), and depressive and anxiety symptoms (Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories). Participants were grouped by meeting US physical activity guidelines (active/inactive), reporting ≥8 hrs/day of sitting, or ≥8 hrs/day of screen time, pre-and post-COVID-19-related restrictions. Results: Of the 3,052 participants (62% female), age ranged from 18-24 (16.6% of sample) to 75+ (9.3%). Weekly physical activity was reduced after COVID-19-related restrictions among previously active participants (mean change:-32.3% [95% CI:-36.3%,-28.1%]) but largely unchanged among previously inactive participants (+2.3% [-3.5%, +8.1%]). Large increases in

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered much of US life with shifts to working-from-home and social distancing changing day-to-day behavior. We aimed to determine the self-reported prevalence of meeting US physical activity guidelines, stratified by sitting time during the early lockdown phase of COVID-19 in US adults. We conducted two cross-sectional internet-based studies April 3 rd -May 4 th , 2020 in convenience samples of US adults. Participants self-reported daily sitting time and weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) via questions from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. A total of 5,036 US adults (65.3% women, 30.2% with chronic conditions) provided complete physical activity and sitting time data (80.3% of total). Overall, 42.6% of participants reported sitting for >8h/day (95% CI: 41.2%-44.0%) and 72.5% (71.2%-73.7%) reported being either sufficiently (150-300 MVPA minutes) or highly active (>300 minutes). The greatest proportion of people self-reported being highly active and sitting for >8h/day (24.0%; 22.8%-25.2%), followed by being highly active and sitting for 6-8h/day (20.9%; 19.8%-22.1%). Sitting and activity appeared similar between sexes, while there was evidence of some age differences. For example, more young adults (ages 18-34) appeared to self-report being inactive and more appeared to sit for >8h/day compared to older adults. High sitting time was reported by US adults (>40% sitting >8h/day) during April 2020. However, high levels of physical activity (>70% meeting guidelines) were also reported. Since physical activity cannot eliminate the negative health effects of sitting, maintaining activity and limiting sitting during periods of large workplace and societal shifts is encouraged.

No abstract

Background: The self-distancing measures imposed major changes in daily life routine. This study aimed to (i) evaluate the changes (pre-versus during pandemic) in time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in selfisolating Brazilians during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (ii) to explore correlates of MVPA and SB. Methods: A cross-sectional self-report online survey, evaluating the time spent in MVPA and SB pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical, variables, and time in self-isolation were also obtained. Changes in MVPA and SB and their correlates were explored using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Results: A total of 877 participants (72.7% women, 53.7% young adults [18-34 years]) were included. Overall, participants reported a 59.7% reduction (95%CI:35.6 to 82.2) in time spent on MVPA during the pandemic. Time spent in SB increased 42.0% (95%CI:31.7 to 52.5). Greater reductions in MVPA and/or increases in SB were seen in younger adults, those not married, those employed and those with a self-reported previous diagnosis of a mental disorder. Conclusions: People in self-isolation significantly reduced MVPA levels and increased SB. Public health strategies should be implemented during epidemic times to mitigate the impact of self-isolation on MVPA and SB, particularly in vulnerable groups.

No abstract