Exercising too much during lockdown can be bad for your mental health, study claims

Researchers from the University of Adelaide have revealed that exercising for more than two-and-a-half hours a day can actually have detrimental effects on your mental health during coronavirus lockdown

With the UK now in its third week of lockdown, many bored Brits are turning to exercise to keep themselves entertained.

While a quick run around the park or a home HIIT workout can be a great way to clear out the cobwebs, scientists have warned against exercising for too long during isolation.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide have revealed that exercising for too long can actually have detrimental effects on your mental health.

In the study, the researchers surveyed 369 adults living in 64 cities in China, after they had completed one month of lockdown.

Dr Stephen Zhang, who led the study, said: “As many parts of the world are only just beginning to go into lockdown, we examined the impact of the one-month long lockdown on people’s health, distress and life satisfaction.”

The results found people who stopped working during the lockdown reported worse mental health than those who continued to work.

Professor Andreas Rauch, an author of the study, said: “We weren’t surprised that adults who stopped working reported worse mental and physical health conditions as well as distress. Work can provide people with a sense of purpose and routine, which is particularly important during this global pandemic.”

Meanwhile, the results also found that exercising for too long can actually be detrimental for your mental heath.

Participants who exercised for more than 2.5 hours per day reported worse life satisfaction, while those who exercised for half an hour or less during the lockdown reported positive life satisfaction.

Dr Zhang explained: ”We were really surprised by the findings around exercising hours because it appears to be counter-intuitive.

“It’s possible adults who exercised less could better justify or rationalise their inactive lifestyles in more severely affected cities.

“More research is needed but these early findings suggest we need to pay attention to more physically active individuals, who might be more frustrated by the restrictions.”