15 June, 2022 – Across Canada, as people isolated in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness, depression and anxiety kicked in, and many had few resources to maintain their mental health. Governments suggested physical activity as a way of coping, but, with parks and gyms closed, it was hard for many people to remain or become physically active. BC scientist — and Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar (2016 – 2021) — Dr. Eli Puterman and his team had a solution, and delivered peer-reviewed proof of the benefits of exercise on mental health in the early days of the pandemic.
The study concluded that: “At-home exercise is a potent behaviour to improve mental health in adults during the pandemic, especially in those with increased levels of depressive symptoms. Promotion of at-home exercise may be a global public health target with important personal, social and economic implications as the world emerges scathed by the pandemic.”
