Did the COVID-19 pandemic period change exercise habits, intentions, and expectations in terms of exercising?

Authors

  • Κατερίνα Δασκαλάκη Democritus University of Thrace
  • Ασημένια Γιοφτσίδου Democritus University of Thrace
  • Αναστασία Μπενέκα Democritus University of Thrace
  • Παρασκευή Μάλλιου Democritus University of Thrace

Abstract

One of the restrictive measures that was undertaken by many governments globally during the COVID-19 pandemic was the suspension of gyms and athletic centers during the quarantine. The aim of the present study was to record if the COVID-19 pandemic period changed exercise habits, intentions, and expectations in terms of exercising of persons living in Greece. An electronic questionnaire was created that contained questions in relation to exercise behavior before the closure of the gyms, during their brief reopening and during the two quarantines. In the research participated 1203 persons. The majority of the participants continued to work out during the lockdown. However, due to the pandemic, they substituted their usual ways of working out with new forms of exercise (e.g. unsupervised exercise at home, internet-based exercise etc.). The new experiences that the exercisers accumulated during the lockdown created new needs regarding their preferences in relation to exercise. For this reason, although they expressed their intention to return to the gyms after their reopening, they also made some proposals regarding desirable new services, that should be taken into account from the part of the professionals working at the fitness industry in order to respond effectively to the new needs.

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Published

2023-04-09

How to Cite

Δασκαλάκη Κ., Γιοφτσίδου Α., Μπενέκα Α., & Μάλλιου Π. (2023). Did the COVID-19 pandemic period change exercise habits, intentions, and expectations in terms of exercising?. Exercise and Society, 2. Retrieved from http://ojs.staff.duth.gr/ojs/index.php/ExSoc/article/view/437

Issue

Vol. 2 (2021): Issue 68

Section

Health and Exercise

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