An empirical analysis of factors determining changes in physical exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Aim The main objective of the study was to report the changes that have taken place in the practice of physical exercise during confinement and to examine the factors that favor or detract from it. Material and methods To determine the objective, a survey was carried out in the United States during the pandemic and a sample of 511 participants was obtained. A binary logit model was used to process the data, as well as several independence tests. Results The main result of this study is the increase in the practice of physical activity of the individuals surveyed during the pandemic. Some of the elements that most influenced this increase were annual family income, education level, and eating habits, but these results are subject to change depending on the respondent’s body mass index. On the other hand, the results also show changes in physical exercise habits during the pandemic, especially in the time of the week when it is performed, and these changes are highly correlated with the use of electronic devices, hours of sleep, and physical condition of the respondents before the pandemic. Conclusion Determining the different factors that affect the practice of physical exercise during pandemic periods seems to be important to determine in which populations it is more important to act or what resources are necessary when implementing physical exercise programs in specific situations such as pandemics.