How to deal with the overwhelming pressure of epidemic prevention? 5 minutes of aerobic exercise every day can help relieve anxiety and depression symptoms

During the epidemic, many office workers work from home and their activity level has dropped significantly. If they are unable to balance their work and rest time, it is easy to cause physical and mental stress, and then lead to emotions such as anxiety and depression. Faced with this situation, a famous fitness trainer from the United States, Stephanie Mansour, demonstrated a set of 5 aerobic exercises combined with light weight training, which can help eliminate burnout and relieve the stress caused by the new coronavirus epidemic.

According to CNN, a 2020 poll conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) showed that nearly half of parents with children under the age of 18 said that taking care of children, finances or work at home would cause great psychological pressure due to the inconvenience and panic caused by the epidemic.

The American Psychological Association recommends that parents should prioritize taking care of their children to prevent them from seeing their own depression and anxiety.

In response, Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association, said that children are actually quite observant of the stress and anxiety expressed by their parents, caregivers, and peers, so parents should prioritize taking good care of themselves and set an example for their children in dealing with stress and anxiety.

When it comes to positive ways to deal with stress, many people will think of exercise. However, many people often have self-doubt about whether they can handle high-intensity or long-term training plans, and ultimately give up on exercise. However, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of American (ADAA), it is not necessary to undergo high-intensity, long-term training to improve depression and anxiety. In fact, just spending about 5 minutes doing aerobic exercise every day can help fight anxiety.

Aerobic exercise and weight training can help the brain secrete serotonin, dopamine and other substances to relieve stress.

Research previously published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise also found that when people engage in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, they can improve negative psychological emotions such as anxiety and worry. In addition, research previously published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine also mentioned that weight training (strength training) helps the brain produce chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which can also help promote mental health.

Therefore, if you want to relieve the stress and anxiety caused by the epidemic, you might as well do the following 5 types of combined aerobic exercises with light weight training at home to achieve the purpose of decompression:

1. Squat kick and punch

First, assume a squat stance with your feet hip-width apart, spine straight, and face forward. You can hold a light dumbbell (about 1-2 pounds) in your hand, place it in front of your chest, bend your knees to push your gluteus maximus back, as if you were sitting on a chair, squat down, squeeze your heels and stand up, then kick your right leg as far up to the right side as possible, the higher the better.

While kicking your right foot to the right, punch outward with the palm of your right hand holding the dumbbell, allowing your upper arm and shoulder to move together. Then switch to the other side and repeat this action for 60 seconds, or 20 times (10 times on each side), then switch to the next set of actions.

2. High knees and presses

Hold the dumbbells in both hands with your upper arms parallel to the floor, place the dumbbells above your shoulders, feet hip-width apart, and raise your right knee as high as possible. After lifting your right knee, raise the dumbbell above your head. After putting your foot down, switch to your left knee and raise it as high as possible, alternating left and right.

To advance further, you can add some bouncing as you raise your knees. Repeat this movement for 60 seconds, or 30 sets (15 sets on each side), then switch to the next exercise.

3. Skater and modified weighted reach

Hold the dumbbells in your palms and pretend you are wearing skates. As you skate to the left, step your left toes backward, move your left hand forward, and stretch your right hand backward. Repeat this movement for 60 seconds, or 30 sets (15 sets on each side), then switch to the next exercise.

4. Criss cross abs with weights

Lie on the ground, bend your knees and lift them off the ground, so that your back is in the tabletop position. Then put the dumbbells in both hands together, and roll up your abdomen with your chest as the center, moving your head, neck, chest and abdomen along the way.

Lift the weight to the outside of your right knee, with your right foot bent, and your left foot straight and stretched outward. Then stretch your arms and dumbbells to the left, and switch to your right foot and stretch it straight and outward. Do this movement for 60 seconds, or repeat it 30 times (15 times on each side), then move on to the next movement.

5. Modified push-up with knee press

Place your knees and palms on the ground, then lift your right foot up so that it is above your hips, bend your elbows, and do push-ups; bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle and lift your leg up as if you were trying to kick the ceiling with your foot, then lower your knee, switch to the other side, and repeat the push-ups. Repeat this movement for 60 seconds, or 20 times (10 times on each side), and then all the movements are over.

Finally, Stephanie Mansour said that you should do a set of 5 home training exercises every other day, and rest the next day to allow your body to recover. If you want to continue training on your rest day to eliminate fatigue, you can change to walking or yoga, which can also help relieve stress and anxiety.