The effect of covid -19 pandemic social distancing on physical activity and mood state of Isfahan citizens

Abstract Background & Objective: Government action during the Covid 19 pandemic have placed many restrictions on dailylife. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of social distance plan in the conditions of Corona virus on physical activity and mood state of the people of Isfahan citizens. Materials and Methods: 411 people (131 men and 280 women) from Isfahan city conducted an online survey between April 1 and June 2, 2020. Participants were invited to collaborate through available sampling and social media. Using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), they reported the amount of physical activity before and during social distancing. A 16-item Questionnaire (POMS) was also used to assess participantschr('39') mood state. Analysis of variance with repeated measures, univariate analysis of variance and regression were used to answer the basic questions of this study. Results: The results showed that there was a significant decrease in the intensity and number of weekly sessions of physical activity  compared to the previous period (p = 0.001). 11.8% of the subjects reduced the duration of their training session due to quarantine and increased it by 5% (p = 0.001), while 83.2% of the subjects did not change the duration of their training session(p = 0.001). Also, people who did not change the number of weekly sessions of physical activity had a better mood in the positive components and all in the negative components (p = 0.001). Conclusion: While social distancing is a necessary measure to protect public health, the results show that it reduces the level of physical activity that may endanger physical and mental health. These observations have potentially important implications that could help with the recommendations for physical activity to maintain good health during disease.