Prolonged Sitting Associated with Feelings of Depression and Anxiety, Says New Study

1. Prolonged Sitting Associated with Feelings of Depression and Anxiety, Says Prolonged Sitting Associated with Feelings of Depression and Anxiety, Says New Study New Study The pandemic has not only brought a constant fear of contracting the virus and economic burden, but also an uptick in mental health problems of the people. Moreover, the Covid-19 protocols have also led to habits and practices that triggered mental health issues. People were locked inside their homes and the commute was between one room to the other. A typical day happened to be sitting in front of the computer for long hours and whatever little time is left would be spent on Netflix. Hitting the gym was a far cry. To be precise, a perfect sedentary lifestyle had crept into the lives of many. This sedentary lifestyle is now showing its effects on people’s physical as well as psychological health, which was very predictable and inevitable. A recent study has now found that people who continued with this sedentary lifestyle and worked long hours sitting at their desks are more likely to have symptoms depression. researchers feel that studying this intrinsic link depression and sitting for a prolonged period can help in improving people’s mental health. of The between According to the lead author of the study, Jacob Meyer, assistant professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University, "Sitting is a sneaky behavior. It's something we do all the time without thinking about it." Meyer and his fellow researchers examined how physical activity and sedentary behaviors are associated with mental health. The researchers anticipated such an impact from the lockdown clamped globally as the pandemic broke out last year. "In March 2020, we knew COVID was going to affect our behavior and what we could do in lots of weird, funky ways that we couldn't predict," Meyer said.

2. Meyer and his team of researchers looked at the responses of more than 3,000 study participants from all 50 states and the District of Colombia. All the study respondents self-reported how much time they spent doing any activity, like sitting at one place, staring at screens, and exercising, and how those behaviors compared to pre-pandemic times. They used standard clinical scales, indicating changes to their mental wellbeing (e.g., depression, anxiety, feeling stressed, lonely). The researchers said that it is known when people's physical activity and screen time changes, as it is related to their mental health in general. However, it was different after the pandemic. There was no such data of a large population like this (in response to an abrupt change) before. The findings revealed that participants, who met the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines before the pandemic, decreased their physical activity by 32% on average shortly after the Covid-19 lockdown. The respondents reported a higher depression level, anxiety, and loneliness. The findings of the study were later published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2020. Spending more time sitting resulted in poor mental health The follow-up research by Meyer tried to see whether the participants’ mental health and behavior had changed over time. They were made to fill out the same survey each week between April and June this year. "In the second study, we found that, on average, people saw their mental health improve over the eight weeks," Meyer said. "People adjusted to life in the pandemic. But for people whose sitting times stayed high, their depressive symptoms, on average, didn't recover in the same way as everyone else's." The participants who continued to spend a major part of the day sitting experienced poor mental health improvements. Meyer also iterated that sitting does not mean that it will cause depression, but those who were depressed experienced more depression by sitting long hours. Meyer suggests that people should include a little bit of movement to improve their mood and mental health and look for ways to remain active. He also recommended people take breaks when sitting for long periods. "If you're no longer walking down the hall for in-person meetings, you can still incorporate that break from sitting by taking a short walk before and after your Zoom-call," Meyer said.

3. People working from home can go for a walk regularly after the day is over to mimic their pre- pandemic level of activity. It will benefit people physically and mentally. Get help for mental health problems Whether it is a sedentary lifestyle that is causing depression or one is predisposed to it, seeking early treatment intervention is the best way to tackle mental health problems. If you or a loved one needs any behavioral health treatment, reach out to Athena for long- term recovery. Athena not only provides mental health treatment, but is also among the best drug addiction treatment centres in India. It is the best de-addiction centre in India. For more information, call us now on our 24/7 helpline number 9289086193 and get immediate assistance. For More Information Please visit:- https://www.athenabhs.com