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.

Keywords: United States; coronavirus; exercise; muscle-strengthening physical activity; physical-activity guidelines.

Figure 1

Study design depicting three different data-collection time points for physical activity and sedentary behavior. WHO, World Health Organization.

Figure 2

Changes in physical activity and sitting time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data presented as mean and standard error for moderate-intensity, vigorous-intensity, and total moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (A), muscle-strengthening physical activity (B), sitting (C), and walking (D). All analyses adjusted for age, sex, body-mass index before the COVID-19 pandemic, and number of co-morbidities. ¹ Significant difference between before the COVID-19 pandemic and first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, p < 0.05; ² Significant difference between first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic and one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, p < 0.05; ³ Significant difference between before the COVID-19 pandemic and one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, p < 0.05. Sample sizes are 344, 355, and 336 for moderate-intensity, vigorous-intensity and total MVPA, respectively; 315 for muscle-strengthening physical activity; 360 for sitting time and 353 for walking.

Figure 3

Changes in the percentage of older adults meeting physical-activity guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. ¹ Significant difference between before the COVID-19 pandemic and first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, p < 0.001; ² Significant difference between first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic and one year into COVID-19 pandemic, p < 0.001. There were no significant differences in meeting the aerobic, muscle-strengthening, or both physical-activity guidelines before the pandemic and one year into the pandemic. Sample sizes are 336, 367, and 331 for aerobic, muscle-strengthening and both physical-activity guidelines, respectively.