Following the coronavirus outbreak, people are advised to stay inside their homes and avoid crowding public places. Malls, restaurants and Gyms are closed to prevent Covid cases from surging, which has made fitness enthusiasts upset.
Physical activity and regular workouts are equally as important as remaining inside, during these unprecedented times.
During the Covid19 pandemic, when fitness fanatics have pushed the opening of gyms, a new study has found that remotely supervised workout sessions are more effective than face-to-face workouts at gyms.
What was the research?
The researchers at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Brazil studied the impact of regular exercise on the physical and mental health of 344 volunteers.
The study evaluated the effectiveness of three techniques: in-person sessions led by a fitness instructor, online sessions with no supervision, and remote sessions overseen by an instructor via video conference.
In July-August 2020, the researchers used validated online questionnaires known as the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale- Self-Rated, to assess the participants' physical and mental wellbeing.
The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale- Self Rated addresses nine issues- visible and reported sadness, inner stress, decreased sleep and hunger, concentration difficulties, lassitude, inability to feel, and gloomy and suicidal thoughts.
The researchers also examined the individuals' exercise habits, which included working out for at least 30 minutes and up to 180 minutes each day, for a total of 150 to 900 minutes per week.
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Results
According to the findings of the studies, two types of sessions under expert supervision had the greatest impact on physical and mental health.
According to the experts, this was owing to the ability to gradually increase the intensity of the workouts. Surprisingly, remotely supervised sessions outperformed face-to-face sessions.
"The findings highlight the advantages of either strategy, with the teacher online or physically present, over being inactive. The physical and mental advantages, on the other hand, are mostly due to a safe and steady rise in the intensity of the exercises, which happened only when they were overseen by a professional. What's interesting is that the remote monitoring through video conference was more efficient. The distinction was minor but statistically significant," Carla da Silva Batista, the study's last author, told media.
Highlights of the study
- Participants who worked out remotely with Pilates, Crossfit, yoga, dance, and aerobics exercised more intensely than those who did not. "Increasing the intensity of supervised online sessions was critical during the pandemic," Batista added.
"Around half of the volunteers, or 55%, completed high-intensity workouts prior to the pandemic, but that number dropped to 30% once lockdown began."
- Other studies suggest that intense exercise enhances longevity, lowers the chance of acquiring Parkinson's disease, and is linked to a lower risk of 26 different kinds of cancer.
- "We don't know why doing out with remote supervision through video conference produces greater outcomes than working out with the teacher physically there," Batista added. "It's likely that the inconvenience of wearing a mask affected the participants' performance throughout the pandemic."
- Another reason might be that individuals who were remotely supervised were more motivated.
"They were practising in safety and at home, but under the supervision and without the need to wear a mask. Because they didn't have to worry about transmitting the virus, the instructor may have felt free to raise the intensity of the workouts without risking damage or pain."
- "Before the pandemic, almost half of the volunteers were depressed. Our findings revealed that even these individuals improved their mental health score," said Batista.