ABSTRACT
During COVID-19 stay-at-home orders (SaHO), people faced shifts in their work and home lives. These shifts, in combination with the temporary closure of gyms and fitness centers, led to exercise routine disruption. We conducted a survey-based study to assess how females and males were differentially affected by SaHO in terms of exercise routine change, feelings about exercise, perceived physical and mental health, as well as exercise routine plans once SaHO lifted. Quantitative and qualitative data demonstrate that females and males responded similarly, reporting worse feelings revolving around exercise and worse perceived physical and mental health. However, females exhibited greater flexibility in the face of SaHO by adopting new exercise strategies and maintaining an exercise community. As such, females did not report neither a change in exercise frequency nor large decreases in overall physical health and fitness relative to males. Female participants in particular indicated that social interactions and community building play an important role in maintaining an exercise routine during SaHO. This work highlights that exercise disruptions are best met with flexibility and the maintenance of social support structures in order to mitigate the potentially negative physical and mental health consequences that can accompany a lack of exercise.
