Experiences of COVID-19 Restrictions on Physical Activity in Assisted Living

ABSTRACT

Physical activity is an important health behavior for older adults in assisted living, however the COVID-19 pandemic may have disrupted this behavior. This study examined the effects of the pandemic on physical activity experiences in this population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants described barriers to physical activity, transitions in their physical activity habits, and health driven motivations for physical activity as three key themes, with seven additional subthemes. Each theme included experiences specific to pandemic measures in assisted living and everyday experiences. No participant reported increased physical activity during the pandemic, most participants reported decreases.

KEYWORDS:

• older adults
• physical activity
• exercise
• assisted living
• pandemic

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).