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  • 1.
    Andersson, Karin
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Finding fun in the fatigue: Exploring healthism among group fitness instructors2024In: European Journal of Cultural Studies, ISSN 1367-5494, E-ISSN 1460-3551Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The concept of health is culturally contingent, and fitness practices provide a venue to gain insights into the construction of health. In this case study-based article, I focus on group fitness instructors' narratives on healthiness and fitness rituals. By combining Foucault's notion of the 'microphysics of power' and the socio-cultural phenomenon healthism, I employ a genealogical approach that reveals how healthism renders a discursive space for group fitness instructors ('local fitness experts') to navigate their understanding of health norms. A qualitative method consisting of 22 semi-structured interviews was used. Group fitness instructors teaching in Austria for a global group fitness distributor (Les Mills) were interviewed. The results show that eliminating risks to health is the highest imperative to the instructors, which is traced back to a dichotomy between 'disciplined training' and 'fun training', where fun training is seen as feminine and risky. Furthermore, instructors underline their health literacy through skeptical consumerism - choosing health for the sacrifice of fun or finding fun in the fatigue.

  • 2.
    Andersson, Karin
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sports Sciences (IDV).
    Healtism and professional identity: group fitness instructors navigating health discourses2024Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    This mixed methods dissertation employs a survey, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussionsto investigate the health consciousness of Les Mills International (LMI) group fitness instructors. UsingFoucauldian concepts such as discourse and bio-power, the study examines instructors’ construction of theirprofessional identity, and the link between professional identity and healthism, a discourse that promulgateshealth as an individual responsibility.The findings reveal that LMI instructors' professional identity is anchored in sociability, commitment, andphysical perfection.Two stereotypical LMI instructor profiles emerged. Firstly, “the sociable instructor”, whovalues interacting with participants and colleagues at the gym, as well as engaging with the global LMIcommunity online. Secondly, the “all about being fit instructor”, who teaches LMI to enhance their individualphysique. Moreover, instructors understand themselves as role models and health gatekeepers aiming tocombat inactivity by exercising vigilantly and adhering to LMI regulations. Moreover, the results show thathealthism constitutes LMI professional identity, upheld through social interactions and a collective belief inhealthism's rationality. Furthermore, instructors understand their professional identity through their bodieswhile positioning the body both as a threat and as a solution to health, which reveals how the constructionof health is framed as an individual endeavor. This perspective was fortified during the COVID-19 pandemic,where staying fit became a defense strategy against the virus.Finally, this thesis shows that healthism is inextricably linked to normative femininity and a pathogenicperspective on health. Since healthism masquerades as an apolitical concept through the body, fitnessculture can be used to reinvent suppressive structures, such as patriarchy, via healthism. Accordingly, thethesis manifests that investigating health consciousness provides a means to dismantle genderedunderstandings of health.

    List of papers
    1. Being fit and having fun with purpose: What it means to be a Les Milles group fitness instructor
    Open this publication in new window or tab >>Being fit and having fun with purpose: What it means to be a Les Milles group fitness instructor
    (English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
    National Category
    Sport and Fitness Sciences
    Identifiers
    urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-70452 (URN)
    Available from: 2024-08-20 Created: 2024-08-20 Last updated: 2024-08-21Bibliographically approved
    2. Working out Covid-19: Being a Les Mills Instructor and Managing Health in Times of Quarantine
    Open this publication in new window or tab >>Working out Covid-19: Being a Les Mills Instructor and Managing Health in Times of Quarantine
    2021 (English)In: Time Out: Sport and the Corona Lockdown / [ed] Jörg Krieger, April Henning, Paul Dimeo, & Lindsay Parks Pieper, Common Ground Network: Common Ground Network , 2021Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the coronavirus to be a pandemic, which is followed by strict measures to contain a spread of the disease.  Yet, COVID-19 is a distinctively different pandemic to the one that was declared in 2012, namely, physical inactivity (Hall & Laddy & Philipps et al. 2020, 1). During the corona related lockdowns, exercising at home employing (online) on-demand services has become increasingly popular. One of the suppliers are the New Zealand-based Les Mills International; currently the worlds’ biggest provider of standardized fitness workouts. With their altruistic motto — for a fitter planet — their exercise routines were taught in more than a hundred countries by approximately 130.000 instructors before the pandemic. Although their virtual alternatives seem successful, group-fitness instructors face severe professional consequences due to corona-restrictions; resulting in the immediate closure of gyms as well as social distancing. By conducting focused group discussions online with Les Mills instructors active in six different countries, this chapter will provide insights into how group-fitness instructors negotiate their roles as fitness professionals during a crisis that challenges/threatens both personal and global health. Respondents discussed how the pandemic has changed their ability to perform their professions, and how they continue to live out their instructorhood in new and alternative ways.

    Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
    Common Ground Network: Common Ground Network, 2021
    National Category
    Social Anthropology
    Research subject
    Health and society
    Identifiers
    urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-41409 (URN)978-0-949313-42-3 (ISBN)978-1-86335-229-1 (ISBN)978-1-86335-230-7 (ISBN)
    Available from: 2021-03-23 Created: 2021-03-23 Last updated: 2024-08-21Bibliographically approved
    3. Being a Group Fitness Instructor during the COVID-19 Crisis: Navigating Professional Identity, Social Distancing,and Community
    Open this publication in new window or tab >>Being a Group Fitness Instructor during the COVID-19 Crisis: Navigating Professional Identity, Social Distancing,and Community
    2021 (English)In: Social Sciences, E-ISSN 2076-0760, Vol. 10, article id 118Article in journal (Refereed) Published
    Abstract [en]

    Research question and purpose: Les Mills is a New Zealand-based fitness distributor with a community consisting of approximately 140.000 instructors worldwide who teach standardized work- out routines. This paper aims to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic and related measurements, such as social distancing affect the everyday lives and professions of Les Mills International (LMI) group fitness instructors. The aim was met with the following research questions: RQ1: How are social distancing and social connectedness understood, and how do they condition LMI instructors’ understanding of their profession? RQ2: What do LMI instructors think about the #LesMillsUnited campaign to maintain a strong trainer community in the midst of the pandemic? RQ3: How do LMI instructors think that group fitness will change long term due to social distancing? Research methods: Using qualitative measures and a case-study-based approach, data were gathered through interviews with LMI-certified group fitness instructors. Seven semi-structured focused group dis- cussions with fifteen group fitness instructors from different countries were conducted and audio recorded. The first round of virtual discussions took place in April 2020, and the follow-up talks in September 2020. A thematic analysis was employed to analyze the material. Results and findings: According to the participants, online classes as a means of upholding group fitness in times of social distancing is an insufficient substitute to face-to-face instructing, lacking social connectedness that is normally maintained through successful rituals or social scripts. Navigating “instructorhood” during the pandemic includes emotional labor where not only relationships to clients are challenged, but instructors also experience societal pressure to reinvent themselves as instructors. Implications: With no way of telling how long social distancing needs to be practiced, the group fitness industry is facing unprecedented challenges. Making sense of the group fitness profession currently preoccupies instructors who may now have to redefine to themselves how they can teach, and who for.

    Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
    MDPI, 2021
    National Category
    Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
    Research subject
    Health and society; Arbete och organisation
    Identifiers
    urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-41440 (URN)10.3390/socsci10040118 (DOI)000683776500005 ()2-s2.0-85103850681 (Scopus ID)
    Available from: 2021-03-26 Created: 2021-03-26 Last updated: 2024-08-21Bibliographically approved
    4. Finding fun in the fatigue: Exploring healthism among group fitness instructors
    Open this publication in new window or tab >>Finding fun in the fatigue: Exploring healthism among group fitness instructors
    2024 (English)In: European Journal of Cultural Studies, ISSN 1367-5494, E-ISSN 1460-3551Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
    Abstract [en]

    The concept of health is culturally contingent, and fitness practices provide a venue to gain insights into the construction of health. In this case study-based article, I focus on group fitness instructors' narratives on healthiness and fitness rituals. By combining Foucault's notion of the 'microphysics of power' and the socio-cultural phenomenon healthism, I employ a genealogical approach that reveals how healthism renders a discursive space for group fitness instructors ('local fitness experts') to navigate their understanding of health norms. A qualitative method consisting of 22 semi-structured interviews was used. Group fitness instructors teaching in Austria for a global group fitness distributor (Les Mills) were interviewed. The results show that eliminating risks to health is the highest imperative to the instructors, which is traced back to a dichotomy between 'disciplined training' and 'fun training', where fun training is seen as feminine and risky. Furthermore, instructors underline their health literacy through skeptical consumerism - choosing health for the sacrifice of fun or finding fun in the fatigue.

    Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
    Sage Publications, 2024
    Keywords
    Bio-power, exercise, glocalization, group fitness, gym culture, healthism, leisure career, Les Mills
    National Category
    Sport and Fitness Sciences
    Identifiers
    urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-67307 (URN)10.1177/13675494241245535 (DOI)001206506000001 ()2-s2.0-85191153645 (Scopus ID)
    Available from: 2024-05-21 Created: 2024-05-21 Last updated: 2024-08-21Bibliographically approved
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  • 3.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Andreasson, Jesper
    Linnéuniversitetet.
    Being a Group Fitness Instructor during the COVID-19 Crisis: Navigating Professional Identity, Social Distancing,and Community2021In: Social Sciences, E-ISSN 2076-0760, Vol. 10, article id 118Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Research question and purpose: Les Mills is a New Zealand-based fitness distributor with a community consisting of approximately 140.000 instructors worldwide who teach standardized work- out routines. This paper aims to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic and related measurements, such as social distancing affect the everyday lives and professions of Les Mills International (LMI) group fitness instructors. The aim was met with the following research questions: RQ1: How are social distancing and social connectedness understood, and how do they condition LMI instructors’ understanding of their profession? RQ2: What do LMI instructors think about the #LesMillsUnited campaign to maintain a strong trainer community in the midst of the pandemic? RQ3: How do LMI instructors think that group fitness will change long term due to social distancing? Research methods: Using qualitative measures and a case-study-based approach, data were gathered through interviews with LMI-certified group fitness instructors. Seven semi-structured focused group dis- cussions with fifteen group fitness instructors from different countries were conducted and audio recorded. The first round of virtual discussions took place in April 2020, and the follow-up talks in September 2020. A thematic analysis was employed to analyze the material. Results and findings: According to the participants, online classes as a means of upholding group fitness in times of social distancing is an insufficient substitute to face-to-face instructing, lacking social connectedness that is normally maintained through successful rituals or social scripts. Navigating “instructorhood” during the pandemic includes emotional labor where not only relationships to clients are challenged, but instructors also experience societal pressure to reinvent themselves as instructors. Implications: With no way of telling how long social distancing needs to be practiced, the group fitness industry is facing unprecedented challenges. Making sense of the group fitness profession currently preoccupies instructors who may now have to redefine to themselves how they can teach, and who for.

    Download full text (pdf)
    fulltext
  • 4.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Book, Karin
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Norberg, Johan R.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Challenges and Change Readiness in Grassroot Sport: Literature Review2023Report (Other academic)
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    fulltext
  • 5.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Book, Karin
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Norberg, Johan R.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Challenges and Change Readiness in Grassroot Sport: Popular summary2023Report (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
    Abstract [en]

    Sports can strengthen social inclusion and tackle various economic, social, and environmental challenges, bind individuals and communities together and promote objectives such as health, education, climate action, sustainability, and social development. Nonetheless, organised sport at the grassroot level in Europe is facing severe challenges: declining membership rates, reduced levels of physical activity among adolescents and difficulties in recruiting volunteers. Sport organisations, in particular in the non-profit sector and with limited resources, are struggling to find time and resources to create new sustainable, inclusive and innovative ways to work. 

    The Erasmus + project CHANGE – Cooperation for Change Management and Innovation in Sports (CHANGE) has been created to equip sport’s governing bodies, sport organisations, and sport leaders with new, innovative, and sustainable tools to support sport at the grassroot level. Coordinated by ENGSO, it consists of eleven partners from nine countries: 1) research (Malmö University & EASM), 2) sport organisations (UFEC-Catalonia; Basics Sport Club, Belgium; World Snowboard Federation, Austria; Latvian Sports Federation Council; DIF, Denmark; and Opes, Italy) and 3) experts in the field of sport and digitalization, inclusion/engagement and sustainability (SandSI, N3XT Sports and ENGSO).  

    Within CHANGE, the Department for Sport Sciences at Malmö University is responsible for background research regarding change management and innovation in contemporary grassroot sports in Europe. In this report, we summarise research activities carried out in 2023 and insights from 3 workshops with stakeholders from sport organisations and academia. 

    The overarching research questions in this report are: 1) What challenges are the grassroot sport movement/organisations facing today? 2) Are the grassroot sport organisations equipped to handle the challenges? Do they have change readiness? 3) How can we understand the results?   

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  • 6.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Fabri, Anna
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Fredman, Peter
    Mittuniversitetet.
    Hedenborg, Susanna
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Jansson, Alexander
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Karlén, Sara
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Radmann, Jens
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Wolf-Watz, Daniel
    Mittuniversitetet.
    Idrotten och friluftslivet under coronapandemin: Resultat från två undersökningar om coronapandemins effekter på idrott, fysisk aktivitet och friluftsliv2021Report (Other academic)
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    fulltext
  • 7.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Jansson, Alexander
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SWEDISH REGIONAL SPORT STRATEGY, PERCEIVED TRUST, AND NON-PROFIT SPORT ORGANIZATIONS’ MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN2023Conference paper (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    IntroductionSport and trust-based governance is a cornerstone of Swedish sport management. There are more than 20,000 sport associations, and the sport sector receives approximately USD 20 million in public funding yearly. The Swedish Sports Confederation (SSC) is a non-profit umbrella organisation that coordinates the management of Swedish sport. SSC’s “what sport wants” is an appropriation document on the vision of the Swedish sport movement wherein SSC advise sport clubs to focus on inclusivity, hard to reach societal groups, and sport for the masses rather than the fostering of elite players. Concurrently, it is problematic that there is no research on what motivates sport clubs to apply what sport wants (Book, Hedenborg & Andersson, 2022). Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to contribute new knowledge on what influences Swedish sports clubs in carrying out what sport wants’s national goals for sport participation.

    MethodsThe data consists of self-rated answers (N = 1,937) from a questionnaire, distributed to all non-profit sport organizations in southern Sweden in 2017, 2018 and 2020. The questionnaire focused on sport organizations’ 1) perceived support from SSC, 2) perceived trust in SSC, 3) competence in what sport wants and, 4) how frequently the sports associations worked with equity (including anti-discrimination and inclusion). X2-test and regression analyses were used to analyze differences between the years 2017, 2018 and 2020, and the relationship between perceived support from SSC, perceived trust in SSC, competence in what sport wants, and how frequently the sports association worked with equity. Effect size measurements were calculated and interpreted based on established guidelines.

    ResultsPreliminary results indicate that sport organizations’ perceived support from SSC has decreased significantly and continuously between 2017 (M = 3.0), 2018 (M = 2.9), and 2020 (M = 2.8). It does not seem to be any differences in perceived trust in SSC and equity. The results also show that, competence in what sport wants (β = .225), and perceived support from SSC (β = .278) can predict to which extent sport organizations work with equity (R2 =.278).

    DiscussionPreliminary results indicate that more support and trust in SSC lead to increased realization of what sport wants. However, since the results show that perceived support for SSC has decreased between 2017, 2018, and 2020, this study illuminates an urgency of maintaining a strong relationship between Swedish sport clubs and SSC. Moreover, the results confirm the efficiency of the trust-based management model used in Sweden, which seemingly leads to deliverables among the participating associations.

    Book, K., Hedenborg, S., & Andersson, K. (2022). New spatial practices in organised sport following COVID-19: the Swedish case. Sport in Society, 25(7), 1343–1357. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2022.2031017

  • 8.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Jansson, Alexander
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Idrotten Vill: Kunskap och engagemang i skånebaserade idrottsföreningar2022Conference paper (Other academic)
    Abstract [sv]

    Introduktion

    Idrotten Vill är idrottsrörelsens idéprogram, och inbegriper den svenska idrottsrörelsens vision och idéverksamhet, idag och i framtiden (e.g., värdegrund, hälsa, utveckling, organisation). Idrotten Vill ska vägleda Riksidrottsförbundet och SISU Idrottsutbildarna regionalt i Skåne (RF-SISU Skåne) i sitt arbete och uppdrag gentemot idrottsföreningar. Men det är oklart i vilken utsträckning RF-SISU Skåne medverkar till att Idrotten Vill omsätts, och dess betydelse för Skåneföreningars vardagliga utövande. Följaktligen är det av stor betydelse att undersöka hur, och i vilken utsträckning, RF-SISU Skåne medverkar till att idrottsföreningar integrerar Idrotten Vill i sina verksamheter. En bristande kunskap kan leda till felaktiga slutsatser om hur, och i vilken grad Idrotten Vill omsätts i praktiken, samt i förlängningen en obalanserad svensk idrottsrörelse där föreningar avviker från nationellt eftersträvansvärda gemensamma principer. 

     

    Syfte och teoretisk ram

    Syftet är att bidra med ny kunskap om vilka faktorer som påverkar Skånebaserade idrottsföreningars arbete med de gemensamma principer som beskrivs i Idrotten Vill (e.g., värdegrund, hälsa, utveckling, organisation). 

     

    Ett teoretiskt ramverk kring förtroendebaserad styrning (trust based governance) i kombination med ”Hawthorne effekten” (Mayo, 1930) används för att tolka det empiriska materialet. Utifrån trust based governance är det en viktig utgångspunkt att individer väljer att följa Idrotten Vill eftersom de känner tilltro till RF. Utifrån det här perspektivet är tilltron till en välmenande stat en stark drivkraft för såväl agerande samt genomförande av ideell idrottsverksamhet (Bringselius, 2018). Tilltro i kombination med uppskattning från RF kan resultera i ”Hawthorne effekten” (en ökad produktivitet).

     

    Metod

    Under våren 2021 skickade RF-SISU Skåne ut en online-enkät till 2,128 ideella idrottsföreningar i Skåne. 652 föreningar (31 procent) besvarade enkäten. Enkäten distribuerades via e-post mellan 2021-02-12 – 2021-04-01 och bestod av 142 frågor/påståenden, exempelvis rörande jämställdhet och kunskap/utbildning. Metoden bygger på statistiska analyser i form av deskriptiv statistik, t-test, effektstorlek och regressionsanalyser. 

     

    Resultat

    Sammanfattningsvis kan man säga att enkäten visar att föreningar som uppger att de under det senaste året fått stöd, kunskap eller utbildning i Idrotten Vill eller i RF:s anvisningar för barn och ungdomsidrott även upplever mer stöd och förtroende för RF-SISU Skåne. Dessa föreningar uppger vidare att de under det gångna året aktivt engagerat sig mer i sin förenings värdegrund, jämställdhetsfrågor och innovativa verksamhetsfrågor. 

     

    Diskussion och slutsatser

    Baserat på enkäten kan man säga att de föreningar som fått stöd, kunskap eller utbildning i Idrotten Vill och RF:s anvisningar för barn och ungdomsidrott, också har en starkare samhörighet till RF-SISU Skåne. En ytterligare implikation, tagen från industriell sociologi, som skulle kunna appliceras är ”Hawthorne effekten” (Wickström & Bendix, 2000). Den bekräftar att arbetarens produktivitet är knyten till extern uppskattning (e.g., att en RF medarbetare för en dialog med föreningar om deras vardag och utmaningar). 

  • 9.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Jansson, Alexander
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Hedenborg, Susanna
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Svensson, Daniel
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    CHANGES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN SWEDEN DURING COVID-19: A COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS2022Conference paper (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Introduction

    According to accumulated data, COVID-19 related restrictions can lead to considerable inactivity and sedentary lifestyles. The Swedish COVID-19 response consisted of guidelines rather than restrictions, which could possibly have a positive impact on activity levels remaining high. To investigate to which extent self-rated physical activity changed during the Swedish COVID-19 response, two cross-sectional surveys (N = 10,560) were conducted. The data constitutes the most comprehensive material on COVID-19 and physical activity extracted from Sweden. The aim is to contribute with new knowledge about general trends in physical activity during the Corona-pandemic in Sweden.

    Methods

    The method used is based on a quantitative cross-sectional retrospective approach. This approach makes it possible to clearly illustrate how the respondents’ (N = 10,560) answers differ depending on whether the questions referred to physical activity “before COVID-19” or “during COVID-19”. The data was collected on two different occasions (dataset 1 & dataset 2). Both surveys were digital questionnaires. The first dataset was distributed through social media, and The Swedish Research Council for Sport Science, whereas the second survey was distributed via e-mail. Dataset one was collected between 8 April 2020 to 14 august 2020, while dataset two was gathered from 8 December 2021 to 22 January 2021. The analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlations, and ANOVA. Cohen’s guidelines were used to establish what should be considered small, medium, and large differences.

    Results

    Overall, the results convey that there are significant differences for many people in everyday exercise performance during COVID-19. The most striking result is that many respondents report the same amount of everyday exercise, however, less physical training, and more sedentariness. Moreover, the result shows that elderly respondents were more affected than younger people, yet younger people reported more increased time sitting down. In terms of gender, although the Cohen guidelines categorize the difference as small, women had higher scores on sedentariness and reduced physical activity. 

    Discussion

    Both datasets reveal that patterns of physical activity have changed during COVID-19. However, contrary to what some studies conducted in Sweden have argued, within our datasets, differences across gender and age yielded only small differences. This deviates from studies that report that COVID-19 had a substantial negative impact on certain demographic groups. We conclude that respondents report less physical training regardless of demographic specificities. That elderly report less movement aligns with the outcomes of similar large-scale studies conducted in other countries. Finally, we suggest that one reason for differing results could be the use of different definitions when employing questionnaires to gain information on perceived physical activity. 

  • 10.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV). Ghent University, Belgium.
    Jansson, Alexander
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Karlén, Sara
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Radmann, Jens
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Spatial transitions, levels of activity, and motivations to exercise during COVID-19: a literature review2022In: Sport in Society: Cultures, Media, Politics, Commerce, ISSN 1743-0437, E-ISSN 1743-0445, Vol. 25, no 7, p. 1231-1251Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The COVID-19 pandemic and its related measurements have challenged physical activity in various ways, ranging from closed fitness facilities to virtual curfews. Correspondingly, there is currently a rising scholarly interest in investigating how people have navigated their physical activity during the pandemic, and, especially, if physical activity has decreased or not. Accordingly, surveys and studies are rapidly accumulating. Therefore, the purpose of this literature review is to summarize, categorize, and map literature published before May 2021 on physical activity amid COVID-19.This study consists of a mixed methods explanatory sequential design, based on an outcome-oriented pragmatism of the middle. Firstly, a systematic literature review on Scopus was conducted, followed by a VOS-viewer bibliometric analysis. Subsequently, a focused literature review was written. The point of integration of methods was embedded. The systematic review resulted in 1,335 articles, which were used for two separate VOS-viewer visualizations. The illustrations reveal where research comes from, which journals have published most on physical activity during COVID-19, and how the research is globally cited. Furthermore, based on the review, three clear topical trends of research emerge; spatial transitions, frequencies of physical activity, and motivations to exercise during COVID-19. The bibliometric data demonstrates that research from only a few countries seem to be impactful, whereas the review portrays that conclusions in regard to whether physical activity has decreased or not lack agreement, possibly as a result of disclosing different definitions of physical activity.

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  • 11.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Jansson, Alexander
    Vogl, Ulrike
    Being fit and having fun with purpose: What it means to be a Les Milles group fitness instructorManuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
  • 12.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Karlén, Sara
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Radmann, Jens
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Jansson, Alexander
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Continued sport and physical exercise during COVID-19: Strategies of staying active in Sweden2021Conference paper (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects both for the global sport community as well as for individual exercisers around the world. Due to a wide range of imposed measurements to prevent the disease, day-to-day physical activities for entire populations are restricted by physical distancing, cancelled tournaments, and closed gyms. Sweden has chosen to apply recommendations instead of restrictions, however, little is known about how individuals in Sweden reason around, and act out their personal sport participation. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to increase knowledge of how sport participation was motivated from a micro perspective during the first wave of COVID-19. The paper is based on a mixed-methods-study with data from a questionnaire (N = 1,141) and material from semi-structured interviews (N =90). The results indicate that respondents who were already active before the pandemic remained active or even increased their activity levels. To investigate this further, the interviews were analyzed with critical discourse analysis to uncover how respondents justified their continued/increased personal sport participation. These could be summarized as (discursive) strategies of perpetuation based on (i) specific contexts, (ii) scientific and (personal) experienced knowledge of covid-19, and (iii) trust in others’ ability to follow recommendations to prevent the spread. Accordingly, this study contributes with new knowledge of how sport participation in Sweden was motivated, and, from a larger perspective, how a pandemic may influence attitudes toward health and exercise in an advanced Western capitalist society.

  • 13.
    Andersson, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Vogl, Ulrike
    Universiteit Gent.
    Andreasson, Jesper
    Linnaeus University.
    Working out Covid-19: Being a Les Mills Instructor and Managing Health in Times of Quarantine2021In: Time Out: Sport and the Corona Lockdown / [ed] Jörg Krieger, April Henning, Paul Dimeo, & Lindsay Parks Pieper, Common Ground Network: Common Ground Network , 2021Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the coronavirus to be a pandemic, which is followed by strict measures to contain a spread of the disease.  Yet, COVID-19 is a distinctively different pandemic to the one that was declared in 2012, namely, physical inactivity (Hall & Laddy & Philipps et al. 2020, 1). During the corona related lockdowns, exercising at home employing (online) on-demand services has become increasingly popular. One of the suppliers are the New Zealand-based Les Mills International; currently the worlds’ biggest provider of standardized fitness workouts. With their altruistic motto — for a fitter planet — their exercise routines were taught in more than a hundred countries by approximately 130.000 instructors before the pandemic. Although their virtual alternatives seem successful, group-fitness instructors face severe professional consequences due to corona-restrictions; resulting in the immediate closure of gyms as well as social distancing. By conducting focused group discussions online with Les Mills instructors active in six different countries, this chapter will provide insights into how group-fitness instructors negotiate their roles as fitness professionals during a crisis that challenges/threatens both personal and global health. Respondents discussed how the pandemic has changed their ability to perform their professions, and how they continue to live out their instructorhood in new and alternative ways.

  • 14.
    Book, Karin
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sports Sciences (IDV).
    Hedenborg, Susanna
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sports Sciences (IDV).
    Andersson, Karin
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sports Sciences (IDV).
    New spatial practices in organised sport following COVID-19: the Swedish case2022In: Sport in Society: Cultures, Media, Politics, Commerce, ISSN 1743-0437, E-ISSN 1743-0445, Vol. 25, no 7, p. 1343-1357Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, the majority of European countries imposed lockdowns, whereas Sweden introduced comparatively moderate constraints. The Public Health Agency of Sweden stated that sports and physical activity could continue if conducted ‘safely’ and recommended outdoor activities. This article aims to identify new spatial practices and strategies developed by organised recreational sport providers (i.e. sport clubs, commercial providers) following the outbreak of the pandemic. Further, it identifies obstacles and opportunities for new spatial solutions, as well as possible long-term (lasting) effects of the strategies imposed. Also, it discusses these obstacles and opportunities in relation to contemporary sport facility challenge. The data draws upon 24 semi-structured interviews with sport coaches and leaders. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis. The results suggest that most respondents show adaptability by moving their activities outdoors. Generally, for-profit organisations have been more innovative and adaptive. Obstacles for new spatial solutions include localisation, weather, (perceived) need of equipment, leadership, competing interests in public space, and notably the perception of what sport is. Positive examples of spatial adaptability show that there is a potential for sport providers to open up for different spatial solutions and more flexibility in relation to their activities, in order to ease the pressure on formal indoor (and, to some extent, outdoor) sport facilities while amending the perception of sport activities. 

    Research methods

    The data draws upon 24 semi-structured interviews with sport coaches and leaders. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis.

    Results and findings

    The results suggest that most respondents show adaptability by moving their activities outdoors. Generally, for-profit organisations have been more innovative and adaptive. Obstacles for new spatial solutions include localisation, weather, (perceived) need of equipment, leadership, competing interests in public space, and notably the perception of what sport is.

    Implications

    Positive examples of spatial adaptability show that there is a potential for sport providers to open up for different spatial solutions and more flexibility in relation to their activities, in order to ease the pressure on formal indoor (and, to some extent, outdoor) sport facilities while amending the perception of sport activities.

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  • 15.
    Norberg, Johan
    et al.
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Andersson, Karin
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Hedenborg, Susanna
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sport Sciences (IDV).
    Fighting a Pandemic by Recommendations and Trust: Sports in Sweden during Covid-192022In: Restart: Sport After the Covid-19 Lockdown / [ed] Jörg Krieger; April Henning; Lindsay Parks Pieper,, Champaign, IL: Common Ground Publishing, 2022Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 16.
    Vogl, Ulrike
    et al.
    Ghent University, Belgium.
    Jacobs, Geert
    Ghent University, Belgium.
    Andersson, Karin
    Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society (LS), Department of Sports Sciences (IDV). Ghent University, Belgium.
    Andreasson, Jesper
    Linnaeus University, Sweden.
    Choosing to stay fit?: glocalized ideologies of health and fitness during a pandemic2022In: Pandemic and crisis discourse: communicating Covid-19 and public health strategy / [ed] Andreas Musolff; Ruth Breeze; Kayo Kondo; Sara Vilar-Lluch, Bloomsbury Academic, 2022, p. 453-470Chapter in book (Other academic)
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