exercising has been crucial to maintaining mental and physical health throughout the covid-19 pandemic. however, not everyone can be equally active. women are generally less active than men and this disparity between genders in exercise participation exacerbates the gender inequality in health.
since march 2020, when countries and cities across the globe started their lockdowns, the world health organization (who) launched the #healthyathome campaign to encourage populations to stay active while social-distancing or self-isolating at home.
the campaign recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week for adults and a minimum of 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity for children and adolescents (age 5-17).
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our recent research shows that while people have become more active overall since the onset of the pandemic, the gaps in exercise have been widening between gender, income, race and education .
physical exercise is crucial for maintaining both physical and mental health. research suggests that physical exercise can prevent chronic diseases including diabetes, obesity, respiratory diseases and hypertension . exercise can also improve cardiovascular health, boost energy levels, control weight and enhance sleep quality .
staying physically active during the pandemic can prepare and strengthen people’s immune systems against covid-19 , reducing the likelihood of severe symptoms caused by the infection.
because of the pandemic, people and communities worldwide have been experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression . they may worry about the well-being of loved ones, fear getting sick, stress about losing their income and feel emotionally isolated, insecure, bored and confused.
those who exercise more frequently during the pandemic are found to report more favourable mental health . research finds that regular exercise can help reduce the risk of depression and help maintain calmness.
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women are often less physically active than males across age groups due to their gender roles and responsibilities , and this is often exacerbated due to race, class and disability.
our analysis of data from the understanding coronavirus in america project shows that during the pandemic both men and women have become more physically active. however, the gap between men and women in exercise participation has also substantially widened.
because women tend to report poorer mental health than men in general, women’s participation in exercise would help reduce the gender inequality in health.
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we analyzed data from the canadian perspectives survey series (cpss). this is a set of online surveys that has been collecting information from residents across canada since march 2020. the first three waves of the cpss data (april, june, and october) were combined to examine peoples’ mental health and physical exercise behaviour.
while research shows that the gaps in physical exercise have widened substantially between men and women, it has further widened between whites and non-whites, rich and poor and educated and less educated , especially during the pandemic.
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