You’ve had a long day. You’re tired. Maybe you’re even feeling a little down and depressed. Besides work, you’ve got a long list of problems and things to do. And it seems like no matter what you do, you’re in a perpetual state of unhappiness.
That ever happen? Mild depression can show up in many different ways, including:
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- Feelings of sadness
- Changes in appetite (eating too much or not enough)
- Trouble sleeping
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating, and more.
Here’s a quick fix to improve your mood: Bottom’s up.
No. It’s not what you think. You don’t need to head to the bar after work or pour yourself a drink when you get home.
If you’ve been feeling depressed during the global pandemic, you’re not alone. And your bottom may have a lot to do with it, according to a recent study.1
Researchers found that since the start of the pandemic, sedentary behaviors have increased with:
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- Work-from-home arrangements
- Less commute time
- Virtual meetings
- Less physical activity
- More screen time
They found that during the peak of the pandemic, physical activity dropped by 32 percent for adults who were getting at least a little exercise (2.5+ hours a week).
Lack of exercise took a toll on mental health and happiness, leading to an increase in depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
Bottom’s Up to Improve Your Mood
In the study, participants who reported feeling depressed we’re invited to participate in an 8-week challenge to be more active. And something interesting happened…
Here’s the quick fix to improve your mood: Get up and go for a walk. Do something active. And make physical activity a regular part of your day.
- The American College of Sports Medicine recommends adults get at least: 20-30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day or 150 minutes per week.2
“We found that, on average, people saw their mental health improve over the eight-week period,” says lead researcher Dr. Jacob Meyer, a kinesiology professor at Iowa State University.
“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.”
Want to improve your mood? Bottom’s up…it’s time to take a walk.