According to recent research,  people who exercised more during the initial lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced less depression and anxiety than those who did not exercise.

It also suggests that people who stayed outdoors more typically experienced lower levels of depression and anxiety than those who stayed indoors. The findings from the research were published in the journal Preventive Medicine.

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For the study, a survey was conducted on more than 20,000 people from 6 different regions served by Kaiser Permanente across the United States, which included Hawaii, Colorado, Georgia, the mid-Atlantic states, and Southern and Northern California.

The study tells us that even during a pandemic or other public health crises, people should be encouraged to remain physically active to help maintain their physical and mental health, said the study’s lead author Deborah Rohm Young, the director of the division of behavioral research for the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. Parks and other natural areas should remain open during public health emergencies to encourage outdoor physical activity, he added.

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COVID-19 developed into a worldwide pandemic in March 2020. With no known cure, public health experts tried to reduce its spread by limited human interaction through-stay-at home policies.

Businesses were either closed or changed their practices to prevent the spread of the virus, affecting the economy and employment. The financial crisis, health emergency, and fewer opportunities to socialize with friends and family lead to many people experiencing depression and anxiety.

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Since it is believed that physical activities and spending time in nature can improve mental health, researchers at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California sought to determine how exercise and time outdoors were associated with people’s mental health during the height of the pandemic.

In April 2020, researchers sent a series of COVID-19 surveys to more than 250,000 participants in the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank, which included a collection of lifestyle surveys, electronic health record data, and biospecimens.

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People with COVID-19 symptoms were not included in the survey. A total of 20,012 respondents completed at least 4 surveys each between April and July 2020.

A high proportion of the respondents was from white women older than 50 years of age. Most respondents said they were retired and generally followed the “safer-at-home” orders during the survey period. The study found that:

• Reports of anxiety and depression decreased over time.

• Anxiety and depression scores were higher among females and younger people, and lower among Asian and Black people as compared to white people.

• People who reported very less or no physical activity had the highest depression and anxiety compared to people who had exercised.

• Spending less time outdoors was among the reasons for higher depression and anxiety scores.

• People who had increased their time outdoors the most reported the highest anxiety scores, but the research could not explain the reason behind it.

Young said, “What we learned from these findings is that during future emergencies it will be important to carefully weigh the decisions to close parks and outdoor areas against the negative impact those closures may have on people’s mental health.”