Federal and state mandates to mitigate transmission of COVID-19 are adversely affecting nearly every facet of “normal” life, including people’s fitness habits. Moreover, according to recent data, the pandemic is having potentially long-term consequences for the health and well-being of people, especially children.
Now, as the United States works to combat the ongoing pandemic, recreational sports managers are rethinking activity programming, staffing and budgeting policies to adjust to Americans’ COVID-related leisure time and fitness needs.
According to fitness center usage and membership data, Americans who remain wary of congregating in groups are trending away from traditional indoor gyms, fitness centers and team sports. Instead, they engage in more individual activities such as hiking, swimming, biking, wall climbing and kayaking.
However, while adults have the flexibility to adjust their fitness habits, children are not so lucky. As a result, fitness and health professionals are facing challenges to help children engage in physical activities with peers that are safe and effective during the pandemic era.
Childhood Obesity Spiked During the Coronavirus Lockdowns
Even before the onset of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautioned that “childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States” with the highest rates most prevalent among children (ages 2 to 19) in minority communities and low-income households.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has made tackling the childhood obesity issue harder. According to some peer-reviewed studies, the CDC’s COVID-19 policies correlate with a dramatic uptick in childhood obesity as schools and playgrounds closed, children had to forgo participation in youth sports leagues and kids became less active and more sedentary.
For instance, a survey of parents in 35 states in May 2020 — before many states began re-opening processes — presented a concerning prediction that behaviors adopted during COVID-19 restrictions may have lasting impacts on community health:
“Short-term changes in [physical activity] and [sedentary behaviors] in reaction to COVID-19 may become permanently entrenched, leading to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in children,” noted BMC Public Health.
Another journal, Science Direct, modeled scenarios based on how long schools would remain closed (the longest-term scenario extending to March 2021). All the modeled scenarios warned of an increase in childhood obesity, likely to worsen the longer the lockdowns continued.
“Public health interventions are urgently called to promote an active lifestyle and engagement in physical activity among children to mitigate the adverse impact of COVID-19 on unhealthy weight gains and childhood obesity,” the study concluded.
Recreational Sports Managers Are Implementing New Methods
While Americans remain concerned about returning to indoor gyms and their children’s health, managers of public and private health and wellness centers are reprogramming to improve fitness in all communities.
Managers and health professionals are incorporating into their programs the following trends resulting from the COVID-19 crisis:
- Virtual training that enables gym members to participate in exercise and stay connected with their personal trainers via online video platforms and facility apps
- Family wellness communities that support outdoor activities such as biking, hiking and swimming
- Coaching that encourages people to continue preventive health measures they adopted during the shutdowns such as eating better and being attentive to their mental health and chronic diseases (many of which contributed directly to COVID-19 illness and death)
Because of the public shift in health and wellness demands, fitness professionals have no choice but to adapt their methods to promote exercise, nutrition and overall well-being for nearly every demographic and community.
Answering the Call to Improve Community Health and Fitness
Those new needs will require recreation sports managers to understand the fitness industry’s shifting economic landscape in order to implement programs in private and public sectors, as well as develop communication, leadership, planning and management proficiencies. There is an opportunity for this expertise in nearly every community — including workplaces, schools, lower-income neighborhoods and geriatric communities.
A Bachelor of Science in Recreational Sports Management often includes studies in those disciplines and can help students pursue a career that helps people of all ages maintain a healthy lifestyle in the modern era.
Learn more about Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s online Bachelor of Science in Recreation Sports Management program.