To a greater or lesser extent, much of the world resorted to quarantines in 2020 to halt the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Stay at home” was the slogan repeated in all languages. Necessary to contain the advance of the virus, but not harmless, especially for mental health. To find strategies that could be used for future pandemics – which we are known to have to deal with – and for this one, which has not ended yet, researchers have analyzed the impact of physical activity during labor. Spoiler: it works.
Physical activity promotes mental health during labor as the decline is caused during that time psychological problems in the current population, according to research conducted by four Spanish universities and one Canadian.
This research describes the effect of physical activity on the mental health of the population during the onset of the pandemic, to determine whether exercise may play a role. good strategy to contribute to emotional well-being in other potential pandemics, stress the International University of La Rioja (UNIR).
Unrelated to this study, a survey by the IPSOS researcher of 22,000 participants from 30 countries, the results of which were released this week, found that 27% increased the amount of exercise since the start of the pandemic, while 23% increased it. It declined (in Argentina it was almost a draw, but the more seated one “won” by a small margin: 27% versus 28%). On the other hand, regular exercise was identified by 38% of those surveyed as the measure likely to reduce the risk of severe symptoms of Covid-19 (even earlier than other presumed options, such as quitting smoking, take vitamin D or lose weight).
Move anytime, anywhere
Researchers from UNIR, University of Barcelona, University of La Laguna, Ramon Llull University of Barcelona and The University of British Columbia of Vancouver (Canada) described the work published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health the effect of physical activity on the mental health of the population during labor, based on the systematic review of scientific evidence about the consequences of the pandemic.
It is a first step in research to determine whether exercise can be a good strategy contribute to emotional well-being in the event of a pandemic.
“Confinement-induced mental disorders in humans, more in adults than in childrensaid researcher María Gloria Gallego-Jiménez, from UNIR, who added that the work showed that “the population was looking for ways to practice sports using technology. “
The researchers found 180 scientific articles published between January 1, 2019 and July 15, 2020 in all research databases. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, they selected 15 for the study. The study is part of an international project to study the relationship between physical activity and mental health during the pandemic, in which 15 countries collaborate.
This systematic review summarizes the existing evidence on the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on psychological well-being in adult populations and the effects obtained as a result of physical activity on mental health during that period.
According to the researchers, the impact was greater in adults than in boys. Illustrative photo Shutterstock.
The review of articles concluded that caused the pandemic and the incarceration measures stress, anxiety, social isolation and psychological distress in adults; as well as higher-than-normal levels of depression and anxiety at the forefront of medical personnel.
In addition, several studies specifically refer to how adults became sedentary during quarantine and reduced their levels of physical activity, with harmful psychological results.