Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, mental health has largely come into focus. With so many strict and extended lockdowns, with some states experiencing the toughest and longest lockdown and restrictions in the world, it’s no surprise that our mental health has suffered and needs greater awareness and support.
Humans are social creatures that thrive in communities and connecting with others. When you lock these kinds of people inside for months on end, feelings of being isolated creep in and routines start to slip. Routines that included regular exercise, like going to the gym or playing sport, are turned upside down and people have to learn to either adapt or they drop exercising all together. As a result, their mental health is severely impacted.
However, regular exercise – even short bursts of it – are proven to aid mental health. According to the Better Health Victoria government website, research has shown that people who exercise regularly have better mental health and emotional wellbeing, and lower rates of mental illness.
They mentioned that the link between exercise and mental health is complicated. Inactivity can be both a cause and a consequence of mental illness, for example. And while we don’t know exactly why or how exercise boosts mood, here are some possible explanations:
So we know physical activity is important for our mental health – but how has the pandemic itself impacted peoples’ routines and approach to caring for their mental health?
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), it was found that there was a shift in peoples’ priorities when the pandemic hit, with a stronger importance placed on physical and mental health. The ABS found that most Australians (86 per cent) took steps to manage their physical health and two in three (67 per cent) took steps to manage their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. To drill down even further, almost one in three Australians (30 per cent) reported prioritising their physical health more since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one in four (26 per cent) had placed more of a priority on their mental health.
ABS Head of Household Surveys, David Zago, said the latest Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey conducted from 18 – 31 January 2021 asked Australians about strategies they had used to manage their physical and mental health since the 100th COVID-19 case was recorded in March 2020. (Note: this survey was conducted prior to the Delta outbreak across Australia and New Zealand from mid-this year).
“The most common activities used to manage physical health were regular walks (60 per cent), regular physical activity (47 per cent), watching or changing their diet (47 per cent) and getting enough sleep (46 per cent).
“Common strategies for managing mental health included organising their home, life or other things (36 per cent), doing more of the things they enjoy (31 per cent) and practising thinking positively or setting achievable goals (30 per cent),” Mr Zago said.
People aged 65 years and over (50 per cent) were more likely than younger people aged 18 to 34 years (36 per cent) to have prioritised their physical health due to COVID-19.
Click here to read the full ABS report.
This then ties well into focussing on this younger demographic who were less likely to prioritise their physical health due to the pandemic.
The National Youth Mental Health Foundation, Headspace, published a report in August 2020 (so it also doesn’t consider the harsh lockdowns our states have experienced in 2021 due to the Delta outbreak) found some worrying statistics. The report covers the results of a survey of 3,575 young people who received services at a Headspace Centre between 25th May and 5th June. The survey asked about the impact of COVID-19 on their current mental health and wellbeing, the impact COVID-19 and lockdown restrictions had on their lives, the strategies they were using to cope, and the impact of COVID-19 on their future aspirations.
The report found that three-quarters (74%) of participants reported that their mental health was a little (47%) or a lot worse (27%) since the outbreak of COVID-19. In addition, 90% of participants reported a negative impact on at least one area related to their activities and routine, in particular 75% reported a negative impact on their routine and 55% reported a negative impact on exercise or physical activity.
Click here to read the full Headspace report.
So in short, people’s mental and physical health are struggling due to the lockdowns. With your gym or leisure centre being closed, they’re out of routine and actively looking for ways to help their physical and mental health. So how can your fitness business work to better serve your members and their emotional wellbeing?
If you’re in lockdown, it’s now more important than ever to be in contact with your members and help keep their exercise routine in check. You can offer Facebook live workout sessions that they can join from home. Your PT’s can work directly with their clients to tailor their workout programs for the equipment they have at home, and do regular check-ins with their clients to help keep them on track and engaged. Likewise, your nutritionists can create tailored meal plans that are reasonable and achievable for their clients who may be struggling with motivation to cook and eat well at home.
