en ورزش، تمرین و سلامتی Exercise, Training and Health مقاله اصیل Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background. </strong>The importance of physical activity (PA) for maintaining and improving health status increases with each passing day.<br> <strong>Objectives. </strong>The present study aimed to examine the effects of PA and nutritional education programs applied to 12th-grade students on body mass index (BMI), PA level, and eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.<br> <strong>Methods. </strong>One hundred fifty-nine 12th grade students were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG) (n=87, 42 male and 45 female) and control group (CG) (n=72, 39 male and 33 female). At first, physical characteristics, PA level, and eating habit questionnaires were completed by students. Then, EG received a single session face-to-face PA and healthy nutrition-themed programs. After an 8-week follow-up, questionnaires were completed by students again. Also, the number of daily steps of EG was recorded during the 8-week follow-up. Differences between pre and post-BMI, PA level, and eating habits of the groups were analyzed using the mixed model ANOVA test.<br> <strong>Results. </strong>Results showed that educational programs had a positive effect on BMI, PA level, and eating habits of EG (p<.05). There was no improvement in CG (p>0.05). Qualitative findings of EG revealed that the educational program is a beneficial process not only for a short period but also for a lifelong learning structure.<br> <strong>Conclusion. </strong>In conclusion, PA and healthy nutrition-themed educations are effective methods to improve youths&rsquo; awareness to be more active and healthier in their daily life, including during the pandemic processes.</div> Exercise, High School, Nutrition, Quarantine, Pandemic, Physical Inactivity, SARS-COV-2. 0 0 http://aassjournal.com/browse.php?a_code=A-11-1915-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Yücel Makaracı yucelmkrc@kmu.edu.tr 100319475328460011870 100319475328460011870 Yes Faculty of Sports Sciences, Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Turkey Zeki Yücetaş zekiyucetas85@gmail.com 100319475328460011871 100319475328460011871 No Department of Coaching Education, Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Turkey Erhan Devrilmez erhandevrilmez@kmu.edu.tr 100319475328460011872 100319475328460011872 No Faculty of Sports Sciences, Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Turkey Recep Soslu recepsosli@gmail.com 100319475328460011873 100319475328460011873 No Faculty of Sports Sciences, Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Turkey Meltem Devrilmez meltemdevrilmez@gmail.com 100319475328460011874 100319475328460011874 No Institute of Health Science, Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Turkey Selçuk Akpınar selcukbos@gmail.com 100319475328460011875 100319475328460011875 No Faculty of Sports Science, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Nevşehir, Turkey Stevo Popovic stevop@ucg.ac.me 100319475328460011876 100319475328460011876 No Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Montenegro, Niksic, Montenegro