Practicing physical exercise during the Covid-19 pandemic: retrospective study on the routine of gymgoers

Abstract

The study aimed to describe how and the repercussions of physical exercise among gym goers during Covid-19. The applied, field, quantitative, descriptive, case research investigated 32 participants of a gym in the city of União da Vitória - PR, of both sexes, aged over 18 years, regardless of the modalities practiced, characterizing a intentional non-probability sample. To be part of the study, subjects would have to have been practicing physical exercise at the gym for at least three continuous months before the Covid-19 pandemic. As a research instrument, a questionnaire was applied that was developed by the researchers themselves. Data collection took place during the months of August and September 2021, contacting individuals through media such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, or direct contact (in person) at the gym itself. The data were tabulated, analyzed and interpreted based on descriptive statistics, using Microsoft Excel 2016 software. In the end, we can consider that the period of confronting the Covid-19 pandemic brought physical exercise practitioners some limiting perspectives regarding maintenance of physical and mental health, as well as physical exercise routine, which was hampered by several general factors. They claim that even during times when they felt limited in exercising, they remained motivated to perform their activities and, despite many difficulties, they tried to maintain physical exercise within their daily routines.