Sport Australia has released its latest AusPlay survey results which find that people turned to running, riding, and yoga to stay active and socially connected while organised sport was on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sport Australia said the survey focused on the early impact of the pandemic on sport and physical activity participation and included data from Sport Australia’s other survey tool, the Community Perceptions Monitor.
Chief Executive of Sport Australia, Rob Dalton said AusPlay was an important way to track how Australians engaged with sport and physical activity, while the Community Perceptions Monitor captured public attitudes towards various aspects of sport.
“Not only did Australians change how and how often they were physically active, but their reasons for doing so changed as well, with more participants moving for mental health and social reasons,” Mr Dalton said.
“The research also highlights the important role sport can play in bringing communities together and lifting the nation’s energy and spirits,” he said.
“Almost half (44 per cent) of Australians said they missed sport being in their life and 57 per cent of adult participants were looking forward to being able to play their chosen sport again.”
Mr Dalton said those who found it easier to remain active during the sports shutdown reported feeling a greater sense of wellbeing, optimism and connection.
“[This] serves to demonstrate the crucial role that sports can play in the national recovery from the pandemic,” he said.
Mr Dalton said the sports shutdown affected children more than adults, with 73 per cent of Australian adults active during lockdown compared with just 17 per cent of children.
“It’s a big leap from the previous year, where pre-COVID, more than three-quarters (76.1 per cent) of Australian children participated in organised outside-of-school sport or physical activity,” he said.
“Dancing, some of which could be done online, was the children’s activity with highest continuation during this time, followed by tennis and football/soccer.”
He said that by August this year, roughly one-third of adults (38 per cent) and children (39 per cent) who expected to play organised sport between April and December had returned to all their sports, including a very small number who were actually playing more.
