PHYSICAL EXERCISE PROGRAMS AS A HEALTH PROMOTION STRATEGY IN SOCIAL ISOLATION CONTEXTS: LESSONS FROM THE COVID‑19 PANDEMIC
The COVID‑19 pandemic imposed social distancing measures that negatively affected physical and mental health, increasing sedentary behavior and impairing quality of life (QoL). Regular physical exercise has been recommended as a coping strategy, but few studies have evaluated remote programs implemented during this period. The aim was to evaluate the effect of a remote physical exercise program on the QoL of sedentary adults participating in a university extension project during the pandemic. This is a longitudinal, descriptive, comparative study with 20 volunteers (19 women, 1 man; mean age 45.6±5.6 years) from the Physical Activity in Health Promotion Project at the Federal University of Acre. Physical activity level was assessed by the IPAC (short version VIII) and QoL by the WHOQOL‑BREF, applied before and after six months of intervention. The program consisted of remote classes (40‑60 min, five times/week) with aerobic, resistance, stretching and flexibility exercises, using alternative materials. Statistical analysis used paired t‑test (α=0.05). Significant improvements were observed in Overall Quality of Life (from 3.25±0.85 to 3.75±0.79; p=0.008) and Physical Domain (from 3.25±0.64 to 3.55±0.67; p=0.010). Psychological, social and environmental domains, as well as health satisfaction, showed no statistically significant differences. The remote exercise program contributed to improving overall QoL and physical domain, suggesting that such interventions can be effective strategies to mitigate the effects of social isolation on health. Further studies with control groups and in‑person settings are recommended.