Sport England - COVID-19 Ethnography

Unpicking sport, exercise and wellbeing during the pandemic

We conducted five ethnographies with participants and their social networks across England to understand the impact of COVID-19 on physical activity and people's relationship to it. We went into this research with an open definition of physical activity and its links to health and wellbeing - it was important for us to consider that different aspects of a person's life (physical, mental, social, financial) may also have been affected by the pandemic. These different aspects made up the building blocks of our participants' health, and we saw how physical activity is influenced, supported or discouraged by a range of factors, not always within a person's control.

Our ethnography was immersive. We joined participants in every aspect of their routine, from their chores to their yoga classes.