Since the start of the pandemic – and various lockdowns and restrictions coming in and out of play – we’ve all been moving significantly less.
With our new working from home lifestyles making our commutes from our beds to our desks and with new variants popping up and plans being cancelled, we’ve all been leaving the house a whole lot less.
But it seems this new sedentary way of life is problematic for a number of reasons.
And a new study has revealed that a lack of movement isn’t only bad for our physical health, but our mental health too.
New research has found that sitting for significant amounts of time, and more often than usual, is associated with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The recent study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, tracked the moods and behaviors of 2,327 participants in the US over eight weeks.
Researchers concluded that high sitting time across the eight weeks was associated with a worse improvement in depressive symptoms over time.
In addition to people sitting for longer and more often – and feeling more anxious and depressed as a result – the types of activities people engaged in while sitting also changed.
The study’s lead author Professor Jacob Meyer said: ‘Passive sedentary behaviors such as browsing social media or watching television are most detrimental for mental health and were most influenced by the pandemic.’
They noted that in 2020, increases in these activities replaced those sedentary ones known to be better for mental health, such as family gatherings or social activities like playing a board game with friends.
But experts have stressed that physical activity can boost mental health and help counteract excess sitting.
So, with many of us back to working from home full-time again, it’s important to prioritise movement more as we head into the new year.
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