Many of us seemed fine with social distancing or public activity restriction enforcement (PPKP) when it was still running in the first two weeks. But when it takes longer, it could start killing your mental health. Staying indoors, lack of contact with people, restriction in doing activities are hazardous in increasing depression. In fact, we don’t know when this uncertain situation ends. 

But don’t you know that there are some things you can do to prevent depression — even when options are more limited than usual. Here are some exercises that might improve your mental health while you're socially distancing.

Yoga

Chronic stress and other mental health conditions often lead to mood swings and lack of patience, further interfering with their coping ability. Yoga and physical exercises help us in gaining control over our emotions and becoming aware of them.

Also, physical exercises and yoga therapy release healthy brain chemicals like endorphins and dopamine. These chemicals, in return, help us balance our moods and combat common mental health issues like depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and many more.

Pilates

Pilates is a low-impact exercising system, invigorates the body by focusing attention on quality over quantity. This, along with breathing patterns, focuses our mind on the task at hand. This focus on breathing eases up the stress, lowers cortisone levels, and releases endorphins in the same way that meditation does, only you also have the added benefits of physical activity.

This is what people call meditation through movement. Mindful exercising means having a deeper focus on the way your body moves and feels. Focusing on the breath, be fully present in the moments in the activity you are doing.

Zumba

If you are feeling drained out emotionally, engage in Zumba dancing for five weeks as it may not only help you stay physically fit but also improve mental health and quality of life, a study has shown. 

Zumba is an exercise fitness program that involves dance and aerobic movement performed to energetic music. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue, and mambo. Squats and lunges are also included. 

Treadmill Workout

In many instances, doing things like just walking or running on a treadmill even a few times a week can improve mental and, of course, physical health. If instead of sitting down for 15 minutes, you ran for 15 minutes, or instead of sitting down for an hour, you walked briskly for an hour, that’s the level of activity that might actually make a difference.  

Harvard.edu reported that activity spurs the release of proteins called neurotrophic or growth factors, which cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections. The improvement in brain function makes you feel better.

In people who are depressed, neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain—the region that helps regulate mood—is smaller. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression.