Perceptions on activity behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic “second wave” among US adults: results of a short online survey

PURPOSE: COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of people of all nations. This study examined physical activity (PA) behavior, barriers and facilitators to PA during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed adults using a survey comprised of two parts: (a) demographics and general health and; (b) PA-related questions. The survey link was disseminated via email and various social media, and was active from September to October 2020. RESULTS: A total of 277 adults (Mean ± SD; age = 32.6 ± 13.6 years, BMI = 27.1 ± 16.5 kg/m(2)) were evaluated. A majority of the sample was female (67%), single (53%) and White (70%). About a third of the participants reported good mental and physical health, with a similar amount reporting weight gain during the pandemic. Participants further reported on average 271 min of PA/week, and 5.7 h/day of sitting time. Overall, 41.5% of the participants reported a decrease in PA during the COVID-19 pandemic, but those not meeting PA recommendations reported higher rates (67.9%) of decrease in levels of PA than their active counterparts (23.6%); x(2) (2, N = 277) = 55.757, p < 0.01. Over 50% of the participants reported engaging in PA at home, with significantly more females (43.5%) than males (17.6%) making use of live stream PA/exercise session opportunities; x(2) (2, N = 277) = 18.896, p < 0.001. “Closed gyms” and “more time” were reported as the main negative and positive factors, respectively, affecting PA during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that PA behavior was negatively affected in US adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that “closed gym” (i.e., barrier), and “more time” (i.e., facilitator), were the main factors reported affecting PA participation. Given the well-known public health importance of PA, it is paramount that public health initiatives focus on providing not only educational but also environmental opportunities and support for PA during this period.