Outdoor sports and physical activity during social distancing by sports sciences and exercise course students at the university of Salerno

ABSTRACT

Problem Statement. One of the major current problems in the motor and sports field concerns the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the economy of fitness and sports centers, which risk a permanent closure due to the prolonged blocking of activities. For a future restart, it is necessary to find adaptive and / or compensatory strategies, such as outdoor activities.Purpose. The study investigates some elements of current motor practice and the possibility of organizing / participating in outdoor fitness classes. The utility is to summarize the state of the art, even if currently dynamic, to hypothesize a new adaptive and / or compensatory strategy for the possible change in current lifestyles.Methods. The sample is made up of 224 motor science students from the University of Salerno because they are future experts and, in the abstract, interpreters of a healthy and active lifestyle tending to performance. A structured questionnaire was prepared with Google Forms and emailed to students. Data were analyzed using cluster analysis and descriptive statistics, to calculate the variables expressed as a percentage.Results. The second lockdown did not stop the practice of physical activity (78.6%) in motor science students. 57.6% declared that they practiced outdoor motor activities, individually (60.16%), on the street (55.47%), without a mask (71.09%) and maintaining social distancing (97.66%). The majority (94.64%) have never practiced or organized outdoor fitness classes;however, 64.3% in the future are willing to plan / take part in outdoor fitness classes. An obstacle could be represented by the lack of spaces or paths, as stated by 74.11%.Conclusions. From the result of the study, an evolving phenomenon emerges preliminarily which, at times, compensates for the current emergency state and, proactively, can be adaptive.Given the local nature of the data, it can be used for the establishment and new training in motor sciences, called Sport, Exercise and Wellness Management. © 2021, Editura Universitatii din Pitesti. All rights reserved.