After 2 years of lockdown, we all know the effects of sitting on the sofa day in, and day out. Lethargy, gloom, even anxiety and depression all seem to be sadly common side effects of living confined, sedentary lives. For some, physical activity is a joy and a comfort, for others it’s a chore and a pain. One thing seems to be indisputable, however, and that’s that a consistent amount of exercise in any form can do wonders for our mental health.
After a few months of lockdown, we all know the effects of sitting on the sofa day in, day out. Lethargy, gloom, even anxiety and depression all seem to be sadly common side effects of living confined, sedentary lives. For some, physical activity is a joy and a comfort, for others it’s a chore and a pain. One thing seems to be indisputable, however, and that’s that a consistent amount of exercise in any form can do wonders for our mental health.
Across all age groups a correlation has been observed between exercise and reduced rates of anxiety and depression, while for children physical activity seems vital to healthy cognition in general. It has also been shown to protect against cognitive decline in later life, and thus safeguard against the onset of depression and low mood that often accompanies mental deterioration.
If exercise is not already part of our daily routine, it can be hard to think about accommodating it into our schedule. Busy lives often leave little room for necessities like exercise unless we are willing to sacrifice something – getting up earlier or going out for a jog in our lunch hour, for example. Yet when we are working hard all day, the thought of sacrificing even more of our time for something that we should be doing sounds absurdly unappealing.
This is a change that we can’t make for ourselves unless we truly want it, and that can only come about by finding the type of activity that excites us. Exercise doesn’t have to be all about forcing ourselves to suffer on a treadmill – any type of physical exertion can be a huge benefit. Dance, martial arts, yoga, fencing, climbing, swimming, skateboarding; thinking outside the box to identify a form of movement that resonates is an important first step, and we shouldn’t limit ourselves to a narrow set of pre-determined options.
In our modern interconnected world, chances are there are more options available to us in our local vicinity than we might initially realise. Yet even if we can’t find access to local classes or tutors, the internet is a wonderful resource to get started on whatever direction we choose, with videos and online classes more available than ever before.
Finding the type of activity that works for us is an exercise in itself, an exercise in self-discovery and self-knowledge. Physical activity doesn’t need to be a chore, another burden on top of a busy, stressful life. Instead it can be a way of asserting our sense of self, taking back a piece of the day for something that makes us feel truly whole.