Remotely Supervised Exercise during the COVID-19 Pandemic versus in-Person-Supervised Exercise in Achieving Long-Term Adherence to a Healthy Lifestyle

Guillermo García Pérez de Sevilla, Olga Barceló Guido, María de la Paz De la Cruz, Ascensión Blanco Fernández, Lidia B. Alejo, María Isabel Ramírez Goercke and Margarita Pérez-Ruiz
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Guillermo García Pérez de Sevilla: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
Olga Barceló Guido: Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
María de la Paz De la Cruz: Medical Service, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
Ascensión Blanco Fernández: Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
Lidia B. Alejo: Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
María Isabel Ramírez Goercke: Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
Margarita Pérez-Ruiz: Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-13

Abstract: The World Health Organization’s global action plan on workers’ health establishes that occupational health services should carry out lifestyle interventions within the workplace, to prevent the development of non-communicable diseases. The objective of the study was to compare adherence to a healthy lifestyle six months after completion of a multi-component intervention with remotely supervised physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic versus a multi-component intervention with in-person supervised physical exercise before the COVID-19 pandemic in university employees with unhealthy habits and predisposed to change. A prospective cohort study following the “Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology” (STROBE) guidelines was conducted, with two arms. Each multi-component intervention lasted for 18 weeks, and consisted of education on healthy habits, Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet)-based workshops, and a physical exercise program. Twenty-one middle-aged sedentary university employees with poor adherence to the MedDiet completed the study. Six months after completion of the intervention, both groups increased physical activity levels, adherence to the MedDiet, eating habits, health-promoting lifestyle, health responsibility, and health-related quality of life. There were no differences between groups in any of the variables analyzed. Therefore, remotely supervised physical exercise could be adequate to achieve long-term adherence to a healthy lifestyle in the same way as conventional face-to-face intervention, at least in a population willing to change.

Keywords: virtual; exercise; Mediterranean diet; COVID-19; lifestyle; adherence; workplace; quality of life (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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