From Gym to Grid: Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 on Saudi Gym-Goers’ Willingness to Utilize Human Kinetic Energy for Sustainable Energy Generation

Abstract

In the context of increasing sustainability through renewable energy utilization in Saudi Arabia, this study was motivated by the need to understand the impact of COVID-19 on gym-goers’ attitudes and behaviors towards renewable energy generating using their human kinetic energy (HKE). A comparative analytical study was conducted using a pre-COVID-19 survey (n = 96) and a post-COVID-19 survey (n = 385) of gym-goers in Saudi Arabia. The surveys consisted of closed-ended Likert-type questions that measured participants’ attitudes, behaviors, and willingness related to renewable energy and HKE generation. The results of the Chi-square test of independence showed that there was no significant difference in the participants’ attitudes towards behaviors and awareness regarding renewable energy and HKE generation between the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 surveys. However, the study revealed an overall promising level of support for sustainable energy and HKE generation among gym-goers. This led to the conclusion that there is potential for the installation of sustainable HKE generation systems in gyms. The main implication of this finding is the need for greater education and awareness raising campaigns as well as incentives to support the implementation of renewable energy solutions. The research contributes to sustainable development and Saudi Vision 2030 by exploring potential opportunities for increasing the share of renewable energy in the overall energy mix and promoting sustainable development.