Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity of Working-Age Russians

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an ambiguous effect on the physical activity of the population. On the one hand, there was a decrease in physical activity of citizens due to restrictive measures. On the other hand, the epidemiological situation has forced people to pay more attention to their health, including physical activity. Objective: To describe changes in physical activity of the working-age population of Russia related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess health effects of physical activity in Russians during the pandemic. Materials and methods: The empirical basis of the study was the data on the working Russian population aged 18 to 64 years collected within the Russian Monitoring of Economic Situation and Health of the Population by the Higher School of Economics during four rounds: a “pre-pandemic” period including rounds 27 and 28 in October 2018 to January 2020, and a “pandemic” period including rounds 29 and 30 from October 2020 to January 2022. The data was analyzed using the SPSS Statistics. Results: We established that 26 % of the population were engaged in physical activity in 2019, and in 2021 this proportion increased to 31 %. The Russians who had exercised before the pandemic increased their physical activity, and the number of “inactive” citizens decreased from 728 to 707 people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical activity of moderate intensity gained popularity. Thus, the share of people engaged in walking increased by 7 %. Conclusions: Physical activity of the able-bodied population of Russia increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it still does not comply with the recommendations of the World Health Organization.