Frustrated? The sequelae of COVID-19 have severely damaged the psychology of millions of people. Exercise helps restore "psychological flexibility"
Is the psychological shadow still there as the epidemic slows down? “COVID-19 sequelae” make people lose their appetite and cause long-term depression
It has been more than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and the epidemic has not yet fully slowed down. Large outbreaks of confirmed cases have been reported in China and Hong Kong. On the other hand, the “sequelae” of COVID-19 has affected the mental health of millions of people around the world. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pointed out that even if there is no confirmed diagnosis, loneliness, anxiety and the pressure of epidemic news during the home epidemic prevention period may still cause loss of appetite, insomnia, deterioration of mental health, long-term depression and other conditions.
Scholars believe that the root cause of the damage caused by the sequelae of COVID-19 to mental health may be a lack of “psychological flexibility.” When people suffer a huge mental blow, their psychological flexibility will be exhausted and they will be unable to get out of the predicament. How to get out of the psychological shadow caused by the new coronavirus epidemic? Research by “BMC Public Health” points out that “exercise” is one of the most effective ways to maintain mental health.
Insufficient “psychological flexibility” may lead to depression and anxiety. Macao study shows that “exercise” can effectively relieve stress
Central Queensland University in Australia conducted an online survey in 2020 to collect mental health questionnaires from subjects over 18 years old and their mental state when facing home quarantine. In addition, the research team also tracked the subjects’ moderate to severe exercise (MVPA) habits.
After comparing the two values, the research team found that people who are accustomed to moderate to severe exercise are less likely to suffer from mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, or stress syndrome during the epidemic. In addition, exercisers had higher scores on the Psychological Resilience Scale, showing that there is indeed a correlation between exercise and psychological resilience.
In addition, subjects who developed mental illness due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic also improved their psychological flexibility after engaging in moderate to severe exercise. Groups with greater psychological pressure, such as patients with chronic diseases and medical practitioners, benefit more from exercise training. The Central Queensland University team believes that regular exercise can indeed help relieve the psychological stress caused by the epidemic.
Not exercising increases the mortality rate of severe COVID-19 cases. Prolonged bed rest may lead to loss of muscle mass and joint atrophy.
Exercise not only brings psychological benefits, but is also considered an important factor in fighting against COVID-19. Research from the University of California in the United States has pointed out that regular exercise reduces the chance of systemic inflammation and reduces the incidence of various viruses; importantly, exercise can significantly reduce the hospitalization rate and death rate of COVID-19.
On the contrary, long periods of sitting and inactivity lead to a 2.26-fold increase in hospitalization rates, a 1.73-fold increase in severe illness rates, and a 2.49-fold increase in mortality among COVID-19 patients. In addition, long-term symptoms of COVID-19 can cause bedridden patients to lose muscle mass, suffer from balance problems, and even cause joint atrophy and stiffness.
Now, with the loosening of the mask policy in March, people can take more diverse exercise measures while complying with epidemic prevention measures. The Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, Health Promotion Administration recommends that aerobic exercise should be performed three times a week for at least 20 minutes each time. The maximum heart rate should reach a certain value during exercise; combined with weight training more than twice a week, it can simultaneously strengthen cardiopulmonary function and muscle endurance and reduce the threat of virus infection.
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