Exercise and Mental Health During the Pandemic
Increase physical activity when mood regulation issues get in the way.
An online survey of the levels of exercise and mental health status among 1,669 subjects in Canada during the pandemic shows a relationship between declines in physical activity and mental health outcomes.
McMaster University researchers in Hamilton, Ontario, conducted the study to determine what it is about the pandemic thatโs been making people less active and causing shifts in peopleโs motivators and perceived barriers to being physically active.
Data analysis showed a link between exercise and mental health: Respondents who experienced the most deterioration in mental health were the least active. Paradoxically, these people benefited the most from more physical activity. Consider offering the following suggestions to help your clients become more active again:
- Schedule activities (to eliminate decision-making and choice).
- Do activities you personally enjoy.
- Listen to favorite music.
- Train with a friend.
- Try lower-intensity activities.
- Get creative; use body weight or whatever is available.
- Go outside and be in nature.
โEven though exercise comes with the promise of reducing anxiety, many respondents felt too anxious to exercise,โ said principal investigator and study author Jennifer Heisz, PhD. โLikewise, although exercise reduces depression, respondents who were more depressed were less motivated to get active, and lack of motivation is a symptom of depression.โ
The research was published in PLOS ONE (2021; doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0239244).
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
