COVID-19 emerged in December 2019 and had become a pandemic within 4 months, so that in July 2020, over 14,000,000 people had been diagnosed with this new coronavirus. The emergence of this new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been a challenge to health systems worldwide through its increased infectivity and rapid transmission. As of March 12, 2020, according to the WHO, the COVID-19 epidemic became a pandemic. A consequence of the stress caused by quarantine and the required isolation period is illustrated by changes in lifestyle and nutritional habits due to a reduction in the access to food, with limited access determined by the opening hours of stores and the consumption of unhealthy foods. Due to anxiety about food availability, many people bought packaged foods, with long shelf lives, but which had a high sugar, salt, and unhealthy fat contents. The quarantine and isolation periods worsened the sedentary behavior and physical inactivity, over time creating a burden for medical and economic services. Physical exercises can remove the negative effects of an imposed sedentary lifestyle, because they can reduce body fat and influence the physical, metabolic, and mental health of the elderly.
Elsevier, Biomedical Engineering Applications for People with Disabilities and the Elderly in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond, Volume , 1 January 2022
