A study finds that going to bed or doing light tasks around the house helps your mood more than staying on the couch.
There is plenty of evidence that a sedentary lifestyle is less conducive to good health than a physically active one.
Meanwhile, SARS-CoV-2 and lockdowns have made it more difficult for many people to stay active or take up exercise.
Some of the current situation has to do with many of us working at home. Some of it, however, is optional, such as the hours we willingly allocate to TV binge-watching.
A new study suggests better and perhaps surprising ways to spend our spare time — that might benefit our health, as well.
The research appears now in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Moving from the couch to the bed, and to sleep, is more refreshing than spending hours sitting in front of a screen — and the same is true of doing light housework, the study suggests.
The findings arrive at a useful time for those struggling to feel good during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
Lead author Jacob Meyer of Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, Ohio, says, “With everything happening right now, this is one thing we can control or manage, and it has the potential to help our mental health.”
According to the study’s authors, previous research has shown that adults in the United States typically spend 75% of their waking hours being sedentary, including 90% of their leisure time.
Even active adults have seen their activity levels drop by 32% in lockdown, according to preliminary data the researchers released in May.
During quarantine, and after a day’s work, we may find ourselves in search of restorative activity within our four walls, and immersion in online entertainment may seem a reasonable form of escape.
The new OSU study proposes, however, that there are better options that people can easily work into their quarantine schedules.
“It may be easier for people to change their behavior if they feel it’s doable and doesn’t require a major change,” according to Me