A longitudinal survey of the effects of the novel coronavirus on exercise and sports among university students in japan belonging to the physical education faculty

Problem statement: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed global engagement with sports and physical activity and caused significant changes in exercise and sports practices due to reduced interpersonal contact and closure of sports facilities. Purpose: This study investigates how the physical activity, exercise, and lifestyles of Japanese physical education students, deeply involved in sports, changed due to the school closures and curfews associated with COVID-19. Methods: The sample consisted of 74 Japanese male and female students. Changes in sleep duration, self-assessed subjective exercise intensity, and fatigue levels were assessed by dividing the study period into three phases: April to June 2020 (participants voluntarily restricted their movements), July to September 2020 (return to normal activity levels), and October to December 2020 (three months following the initial return to normal activity levels). Participants used Google Forms to record their sleeping hours, perceived exertion rating, and fatigue daily during the study period, and the results were compared to those obtained via a questionnaire that they completed assessing these variables during the same period of the previous year. Results: We found that school closures caused: 1) a decrease in opportunities to engage in exercise such as club activities, which resulted in a reduction in the amount of physical activity performed owing to the difficulty of performing light exercise at home, and 2) a significant change in lifestyle habits such as an increase in time spent asleep and a decrease in the level of fatigue. Conclusions: Overall, school closures reduced opportunities for exercise and physical activity and led to significant changes in lifestyle habits among physical education students. Attempts should be made to provide opportunities for exercise and to discover ways to provide exercise-related instruction while ensuring that the spread of infection is curbed. © JPES.