Mental Health and Physical Activity: A COVID-19 Viewpoint

Abstract

COVID-19, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, has become a public health emergency across the globe. It is a highly contagious disease, which elicits high levels of fear amongst the world population and is considered a threat to the world economy. As a response to this pandemic, international governments have devised unconventional measures to guard the health of their citizenry. Among these are the “new normal” country lockdown that mandates working from home, home-schooling of children, and physical/social distancing from friends and family. For the majority, this has resulted in momentary job loss and loneliness, and other psychological illnesses. Hence millions are frightened, depressed and panic easily as a result of the tension due to the uncertainty, which interferes with their job performance, livelihoods, international trade and the world economy. If not mitigated, this is likely to cause physical health deterioration, with severe mental illness being the outcome. To reduce mental health illnesses during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence suggests prioritising regular participation in physical activity and exercise across lifespan. It is also important for medical experts who specialise in the care and management of mental health to recognise physical activity and exercise as a medicine that can ameliorate some mental illnesses and their associated risk factors.

Secondary School Students’ Well-Being as an Effect of Outdoor Physical Activity versus Indoor Activity and Inactivity

“…The most current issue that can be seen as a health threat is the coronavirus pandemic, during which fear-inducing messages from public debate can interact synergistically with movement restriction orders. Indeed, this reduces the mobility reflex natural to adolescence, which is also not conducive to maintaining a satisfactory level of mental well-being [23,24]. This is confirmed by the most recent findings on the negative correlation between the level of physical activity and the occurrence of anxiety, depression and other mental disorders among representatives of the younger generation [25].…”

Análisis de la actividad física en el desempeño laboral de ejecutivos organizacionales (Analysis of physical activity in the job performance of organizational executives)

“…Han potenciado reuniones activas en bicicleta estáticas para promover la salud en el trabajo sin perjudicar el desempeño (Hervieux et al, 2021). Lo que garantiza una evaluación para la aptitud en el trabajo (Jang, 2021), garantiza la salud mental y potencia la actividad física (Onagbiye et al, 2021).…”

Correlación de la actividad física con desempeño laboral: una visión desde Sincelejo, Sucre (Correlation of physical activity with job performance: a view from Sincelejo, Sucre)

“…La evolución de la actividad física en el ámbito laboral ha llevado al surgimiento de reuniones activas, también conocidas como pausas activas en algunos países (Hervieux et al, 2021). Estas prácticas sin duda contribuyen a fomentar una actitud más positiva en el trabajo (Jang, 2021), así como a mejorar la salud mental y la actividad física (Onagbiye et al, 2021). Calderwood et al (2021) ofrecen una revisión de vanguardia de la evidencia empírica de la relación de la actividad física con el desempeño laboral.…”