Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, social landscapes all around the globe have drastically changed. As public health interventions such as shelter-in-place order and social distancing/isolation have been implemented globally, the public lost many opportunities to be physically active – sport competitions have been shut down, sport facilities including fitness centers, gymnasiums, and recreation centers have been closed, and school-based extracurricular physical activity programs have been cancelled. On the contrary, individual-based activities like walking and cycling and online-based at-home-training programs have boomed and social media platforms have been a popular motivator to being active (e.g., #lockdownworkout). The decreased participation in sport, exercise, and physical activity resulting from the loss of play within social settings may have negatively impacted individuals psychosocial health. Whereas more free time at home may have provided various opportunities to be physically active through various new and/or existing means (e.g., virtual running/cycling competitions and challenges), resulting in positive psychosocial outcomes.
While several studies have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual’s psychosocial health outcomes and individual’s active lifestyle (e.g., physical activity, exercise, sport) separately, there is a lack of research focused on these two together - the association between (changed) active lifestyle (e.g., formats, involvement levels) and psychosocial outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic- from a public health approach. The goal of this Research Topic is to investigate: (1) various aspects of association between active living (e.g., physical activity, exercise, sport) and psychosocial health outcomes (e.g., social well-being, social health, depressive symptoms, quality of life, life satisfaction, happiness, loneliness, etc.) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) effectiveness of various new/existing means (e.g., social media platform, virtual sport competitions, etc.) on active living and psychosocial health outcomes.
We ask contributors to examine conceptually, theoretically, and empirically one or more of the following themes, during or after the COVID-19 lockdown:
• The role of active living in promoting psychosocial health outcomes, and the difference between different activities
• Impact of the COVID-19 on one’s active lifestyle and psychosocial health outcomes
• Public health policy for active living to promote psychosocial outcomes
• The role of social media platforms in active living and psychosocial
• Effectiveness of various means (e.g., virtual cycling competition, home-training programs and services) to pursue active living and boost psychosocial outcomes
• Interventions (e.g., online-based social support programs) to promote active living and enhance psychosocial outcomes
• Active living, health behaviors, and psychosocial outcomes
Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, social landscapes all around the globe have drastically changed. As public health interventions such as shelter-in-place order and social distancing/isolation have been implemented globally, the public lost many opportunities to be physically active – sport competitions have been shut down, sport facilities including fitness centers, gymnasiums, and recreation centers have been closed, and school-based extracurricular physical activity programs have been cancelled. On the contrary, individual-based activities like walking and cycling and online-based at-home-training programs have boomed and social media platforms have been a popular motivator to being active (e.g., #lockdownworkout). The decreased participation in sport, exercise, and physical activity resulting from the loss of play within social settings may have negatively impacted individuals psychosocial health. Whereas more free time at home may have provided various opportunities to be physically active through various new and/or existing means (e.g., virtual running/cycling competitions and challenges), resulting in positive psychosocial outcomes.
While several studies have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual’s psychosocial health outcomes and individual’s active lifestyle (e.g., physical activity, exercise, sport) separately, there is a lack of research focused on these two together - the association between (changed) active lifestyle (e.g., formats, involvement levels) and psychosocial outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic- from a public health approach. The goal of this Research Topic is to investigate: (1) various aspects of association between active living (e.g., physical activity, exercise, sport) and psychosocial health outcomes (e.g., social well-being, social health, depressive symptoms, quality of life, life satisfaction, happiness, loneliness, etc.) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) effectiveness of various new/existing means (e.g., social media platform, virtual sport competitions, etc.) on active living and psychosocial health outcomes.
We ask contributors to examine conceptually, theoretically, and empirically one or more of the following themes, during or after the COVID-19 lockdown:
• The role of active living in promoting psychosocial health outcomes, and the difference between different activities
• Impact of the COVID-19 on one’s active lifestyle and psychosocial health outcomes
• Public health policy for active living to promote psychosocial outcomes
• The role of social media platforms in active living and psychosocial
• Effectiveness of various means (e.g., virtual cycling competition, home-training programs and services) to pursue active living and boost psychosocial outcomes
• Interventions (e.g., online-based social support programs) to promote active living and enhance psychosocial outcomes
• Active living, health behaviors, and psychosocial outcomes
