EPAS Study - Results
Results of the study painted an interesting and detailed picture of the impact of lockdown and other measures aimed at curtailing the spread of Covid-19. These results included:
- Before the lockdown, the average person would spend around 3.8 hours per week on physical activity. This was reduced to 2.8 hours during the first lockdown in March-April 2020.
- Overall 26% less time spent on physical activity per person during lockdown
- The overall trend in some countries saw an increase in physical activity during lockdown
- Following a reduction in the measures, the effects were only partially reversed for most people
- One can observe an increase in sports activities when measures were lifted after the first lockdown. However, this rebound made up only 33% of the initial drop. The overall activities remain below pre-lockdown levels
- No significant differences were observed between different demographic groups in member states
- Some member states saw an increase in the number of completely inactive people
More than this the measure introduced had a major impact on the ways and locations in which physical activity was performed, including:
- Exercising at home saw a significant increase
- The share of sports activities performed at home increased significantly while all other settings see a remarkable drop (especially sports facilities and local sports clubs). This was expected considering lockdown and social distancing measures
- In some member states an increase in outdoor activity was also noted whilst in others this too decreased
- Many member states saw an increase in the number of people using remote or online training videos as a tool to keep active
- The amount of physical activity saw the largest drop in the most active segments of society
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