{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T00:18:21Z","timestamp":1782260301585,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,15]],"date-time":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1618444800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000024","name":"Canadian Institutes of Health Research","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000024","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100011094","name":"Public Health Agency of Canada","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100011094","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:<\/jats:bold> In addition to its physical health benefits, physical activity is increasingly recognized as a means to support mental health. Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with improved mental well-being, reduced likelihood of developing mental illness, and improved symptom management. Despite these benefits, most people fail to achieve minimum recommended levels of MVPA. Population levels of physical activity have further declined since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of public health measures (e.g., shelter-in-place protocols). The potential impact of this decline on mental heath outcomes warrants ongoing investigation.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Purpose:<\/jats:bold> To investigate associations between changes in MVPA and mental health (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and life satisfaction) in adults impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Method:<\/jats:bold> Research followed a cross-sectional design. English-speaking adults were invited to complete an online questionnaire. MVPA was assessed retrospectively (before COVID-19) and currently (during COVID-19) with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Mental health was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-Item (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder, 7-Item (GAD-7), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Regression was used to assess relationships between MVPA and mental health. ANOVA with follow-up tests examined whether participants who differed in mental health status (e.g., no symptoms vs. severe symptoms) differed in their change in MVPA. <jats:italic>T<\/jats:italic>-tests were used to examine differences in mental health symptomatology between participants who were sufficiently (i.e., achieving MVPA guidelines of \u2265 150 min\/week) vs. insufficiently active.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:<\/jats:bold> Prior to COVID-19, 68.2% of participants were classified as being sufficiently active, vs. 60.6% during COVID-19. The majority of participants reported experiencing some level of depressive symptoms (62.0%) or anxiety symptoms (53.7%). After controlling for covariates, changes in MVPA accounted for significant variability in the PHQ-9 (7.7%), GAD-7 (2.5%), and SWLS (1.5 %). Participants with clinically significant mental health symptomatology reported greater declines in MVPA than those who reported no symptoms. Conversely, participants who were sufficiently active during COVID-19 reported significantly lower depression and anxiety, and higher life satisfaction.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusion:<\/jats:bold> Participants who experienced the greatest declines in MVPA reported relatively greater psychological distress and lower life satisfaction. While preliminary, these findings suggest the importance of maintaining and promoting physical activity during a period of pandemic.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2021.567552","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,15]],"date-time":"2021-04-15T15:57:03Z","timestamp":1618502223000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":27,"title":["Strange Days: Adult Physical Activity and Mental Health in the First Two Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"9","author":[{"given":"Madelaine","family":"Gierc","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Negin A.","family":"Riazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Matthew James","family":"Fagan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katie M.","family":"Di Sebastiano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mahabhir","family":"Kandola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carly S.","family":"Priebe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katie A.","family":"Weatherson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kelly B.","family":"Wunderlich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guy","family":"Faulkner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","article-title":"2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services","year":"2018"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijge.2016.06.002","article-title":"Effect of Tai Chi exercise on fall prevention in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"10","author":"Hu","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int J Gerontol."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"902","DOI":"10.1089\/acm.2011.0473","article-title":"The effects of yoga on physical functioning and health related quality of life in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"18","author":"Patel","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Altern Complement Med."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e61672","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0061672","article-title":"Efficacy of Tai Chi on pain, stiffness and function in patients with osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis","volume":"8","author":"Yan","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS ONE."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1080\/17439760.2017.1374436","article-title":"Get active? A meta-analysis of leisure-time physical activity and subjective well-being","volume":"13","author":"Wiese","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Posit Psychol."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"649","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amepre.2013.08.001","article-title":"Physical activity and the prevention of depression: a systematic review of prospective studies","volume":"45","author":"Mammen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Am J Prev Med."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.CD004412.pub2","article-title":"Exercise therapy for schizophrenia","author":"Gorczynski","year":"2010","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"545","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2016.10.028","article-title":"Physical activity and anxiety: a perspective from the world health survey","volume":"208","author":"Stubbs","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Affect Disord."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2015.10.017","article-title":"Physical activity in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"230","author":"Rosenbaum","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"136","DOI":"10.1080\/15377903.2016.1265622","article-title":"The effect of physical activity on children with ADHD: a quantitative review of the literature","volume":"33","author":"Cornelius","year":"2017","journal-title":"J App School Psychol."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-015-0007-2","article-title":"A meta-analysis of prospective studies on the role of physical activity and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease in older adults","volume":"15","author":"Beckett","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMC Geriatr."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"510","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-14-510","article-title":"Does physical activity prevent cognitive decline and dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies","volume":"14","author":"Blondell","year":"2014","journal-title":"BMC Public Health."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S54","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2009.06.040","article-title":"Canadian network for mood and anxiety treatments (CANMAT) clinical guidelines for the management of major depressive disorder in adults.: V. Complementary and alternative medicine treatments","volume":"117","author":"Ravindran","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Affect Disord."},{"key":"B14","article-title":"Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines","year":"2020"},{"key":"B15","volume-title":"Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd ed","year":"2018"},{"key":"B16","unstructured":"Physical Activity2020"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pcad.2017.01.004","article-title":"Epidemiology of physical activity and exercise training in the United States","volume":"60","author":"Katzmarzyk","year":"2017","journal-title":"Prog Cardiovasc Dis."},{"key":"B18","unstructured":"Physical activity of Canadian adults: accelerometer results from the 2007 to 2009 canadian health measures survey7\n            ColleyRC\n            GarriguetD\n            JanssenI\n            CraigCL\n            ClarkeJ\n            TremblayMS\n          21510585Public Health Rep222011"},{"key":"B19","unstructured":"Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Outbreak Update2020"},{"key":"B20","unstructured":"Rolling Updates on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)2020"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e000960","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjsem-2020-000960","article-title":"Changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviours from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: a systematic review","volume":"7","author":"Stockwell","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ Open Sport Exercise Med."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1895","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.01895","article-title":"Don't walk so close to me: Physical distancing and physical activity in Canada","volume":"11","author":"Di Sebastiano","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Health Psychol."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5812\/asjsm.102630","article-title":"COVID-19 epidemic: exercise or not to exercise; that is the question!: Kowsar","author":"Halabchi","year":"2020"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbi.2020.04.041","article-title":"The immunological case for staying active during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"87","author":"Simpson","year":"2020","journal-title":"Brain Behav Immun"},{"key":"B25","article-title":"Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak, 18 March 2020","year":"2020","journal-title":"World Health Organ"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"386","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pcad.2020.03.009","article-title":"Physical exercise as therapy to fight against the mental and physical consequences of COVID-19 quarantine: special focus in older people","volume":"63","author":"Jim\u00e9nez-Pav\u00f3n","year":"2020","journal-title":"Prog Cardiovasc Dis."},{"key":"B27","unstructured":"Being Active at HomeSafely2020"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"527","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rec.2020.04.001","article-title":"Exercising in times of COVID-19: what do experts recommend doing within four walls?","volume":"73","author":"Rodr\u00edguez","year":"2020","journal-title":"Rev Esp Cardiol."},{"key":"B29","unstructured":"\u2018Please, go Outside': COVID-19 Much Less Likely to Spread Outdoors, Dr\n            CBCNews\n          Bonnie Henry Says2020"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102066","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajp.2020.102066","article-title":"COVID-19 and mental health: a review of the existing literature","volume":"52","author":"Rajkumar","year":"2020","journal-title":"Asian J Psychiatr."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3899","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17113899","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on physical activity behavior and well-being of canadians","volume":"17","author":"Lesser","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9036","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17239036","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on women's physical activity behavior and mental well-being","volume":"17","author":"Nienhuis","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ypmed.2005.12.002","article-title":"Regular exercise, anxiety, depression and personality: a population-based study","volume":"42","author":"De Moor","year":"2006","journal-title":"Prev Med."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03193146","article-title":"G* power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences","volume":"39","author":"Faul","year":"2007","journal-title":"Behav Res Methods."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1598","DOI":"10.1097\/00005768-200009000-00012","article-title":"Age-related decline in physical activity: a synthesis of human and animal studies","volume":"32","author":"Sallis","year":"2000","journal-title":"Med Sci Sports Exerc."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1007\/s00038-006-5062-1","article-title":"Gender differences in leisure-time physical activity","volume":"52","author":"Azevedo","year":"2007","journal-title":"Int J Public Health."},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"717","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amjmed.2014.02.026","article-title":"Obesity, abdominal obesity, physical activity, and caloric intake in US adults: 1988 to 2010","volume":"127","author":"Ladabaum","year":"2014","journal-title":"Am J Med."},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"983","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-008-0388-z","article-title":"Gender differences in depression and anxiety across the adult lifespan: the role of psychosocial mediators","volume":"43","author":"Leach","year":"2008","journal-title":"Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1381","DOI":"10.1249\/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB","article-title":"International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity","volume":"35","author":"Craig","year":"2003","journal-title":"Med Sci Sports Exerc."},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"606","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x","article-title":"The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure","volume":"16","author":"Kroenke","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Gen Intern Med."},{"key":"B41","article-title":"Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5\u00ae)","year":"2013"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1092","DOI":"10.1001\/archinte.166.10.1092","article-title":"A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7","volume":"166","author":"Spitzer","year":"2006","journal-title":"Arch Intern Med."},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327752jpa4901_13","article-title":"The satisfaction with life scale","volume":"49","author":"Diener","year":"1985","journal-title":"J Pers Assess."},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1080\/17439760701756946","article-title":"The satisfaction with life scale and the emerging construct of life satisfaction","volume":"3","author":"Pavot","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Positive Psychol."},{"key":"B45","article-title":"Using Multivariate Statistics","author":"Tabachnick","year":"2012"},{"key":"B46","unstructured":"Fitbit News2020"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.21203\/rs.3.rs-81150\/v1","article-title":"Can physical activity protect against depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic?","author":"Wolf","year":"2020","journal-title":"A Rapid Systematic Review"},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1123\/jpah.2020-0406","article-title":"Studies of physical activity and COVID-19 during the pandemic: a scoping review","volume":"1","author":"Caputo","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Physical Activity Health."},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"427","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/30.3.427","article-title":"Sick individuals and sick populations","volume":"30","author":"Rose","year":"2001","journal-title":"Int J Epidemiol"},{"key":"B50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12966-018-0695-z","article-title":"Is objectively measured light-intensity physical activity associated with health outcomes after adjustment for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in adults? A systematic review","volume":"15","author":"Amagasa","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Behav Nutr Physical Activity."},{"key":"B51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"196","DOI":"10.1196\/annals.1367.020","article-title":"The protective role of exercise on stress system dysregulation and comorbidities","volume":"1083","author":"Tsatsoulis","year":"2006","journal-title":"Ann N Y Acad Sci."},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mhpa.2014.10.001","article-title":"Physical activity and stress resilience: considering those at-risk for developing mental health problems","volume":"8","author":"Hegberg","year":"2015","journal-title":"Men Health Physical Activity."},{"key":"B53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"328","DOI":"10.1093\/aje\/kwf047","article-title":"Physical activity reduces the risk of subsequent depression for older adults","volume":"156","author":"Strawbridge","year":"2002","journal-title":"Am J Epidemiol."},{"key":"B54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.aje.a113987","article-title":"Physical activity assessment methodology in the five-city project","volume":"121","author":"Sallis","year":"1985","journal-title":"Am J Epidemiol."},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1282","DOI":"10.1097\/00005768-199610000-00012","article-title":"The recall of physical activity: using a cognitive model of the question-answering process","volume":"28","author":"Durante","year":"1996","journal-title":"Med Sci Sports Exerc."},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"551","DOI":"10.1016\/j.genhosppsych.2013.04.006","article-title":"Standardization of the depression screener patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) in the general population","volume":"35","author":"Kocalevent","year":"2013","journal-title":"Gen Hosp Psychiatry."},{"key":"B57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"266","DOI":"10.1097\/MLR.0b013e318160d093","article-title":"Validation and standardization of the generalized anxiety disorder screener (GAD-7) in the general population","volume":"46","author":"L\u00f6we","year":"2008","journal-title":"Med Care."},{"key":"B58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbi.2020.04.031","article-title":"The differential psychological distress of populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"87","author":"Zhang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Brain Behav Immun."},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e125","DOI":"10.31234\/osf.io\/hb6nq","article-title":"Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress, and COVID-19 related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"6","author":"Shevlin","year":"2020"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2021.567552\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,15]],"date-time":"2021-04-15T15:57:25Z","timestamp":1618502245000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2021.567552\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,15]]},"references-count":59,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2021.567552"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2021.567552","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,15]]},"article-number":"567552"}}