Physical activity in a pandemic: A new treatment target for psychological therapy: Diamond and Waite June 2020

[Sly Saint]

Abstract
The COVID‐19 pandemic and its management are placing significant new strains on people’s well‐being, particularly those with pre‐existing mental health conditions. Physical activity has been shown to improve mental as well as physical health. Increasing activity levels should be prioritized as a treatment target, especially when the barriers to exercise are greater than ever. Promoting physical activity has not traditionally been the remit of psychologists. Yet psychological theory and therapeutic techniques can be readily applied to address physical inactivity. We present theoretical perspectives and therapy techniques relating to (1) beliefs about physical activity, (2) motivation to be physically active, and (3) the sense of reward achieved through being physically active. We outline strategies to initiate and maintain physical activity during the COVID‐19 pandemic, thereby benefitting mental and physical health. COVID‐19 is demanding rapid and substantial change across the whole health care system. Psychological therapists can respond creatively by addressing physical activity, a treatable clinical target which delivers both mental and physical health benefits.

Practitioner points

• Physical activity is essential for our mental and physical health.
• Yet COVID‐19 presents novel barriers to physical activity.
• Psychological theory and techniques to address beliefs, motivation, and reward can be applied to increase physical activity during COVID‐19.
• Physical activity is an important clinical target to sustain and improve mental health, especially in the current pandemic.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/papt.12294

eta:
paper was referenced here
https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/news/phy...ew-treatment-target-for-psychological-therapy

 

[Sly Saint]

Although I understand the rationale behind encouraging people to exercise during the pandemic there were a few things in this paper that jarred.

Promoting physical activity has not traditionally been the remit of psychologists.

really?

Pacing

Identifying and discussing ways to reduce ‘boom and bust’ patterns of activity to avoid fatigue, pain, and injury https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/pacing‐for‐pain‐and‐fatigue/

Psychologists can utilize pacing and activity scheduling

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Psychological therapists can respond creatively

That would seem to sum things up. Isn't that what they always do

At least that seems to be what they do in Oxford.

If anyone needed evidence that this is a department of pseudoscientific phoneys this will do.

 

[rvallee]

Honestly this is starting to become as ridiculous as the decades of attempts at brainwashing. Or nearly Equilibrium level.

The reasons why people do not exercise enough are not psychological, therefore psychology has no useful role to play here. Grow the F up over this, you cannot manipulate people into doing things, this is not how any of this works. It's infantile thinking.

The main barriers are socioeconomic, with unaddressed health problems being a major aspect and for which psychology bears enormous blame. The cruel application of austerity politics in the last several decades, in addition to the ruthless application of psychosomatic ideology, have created societies that squeeze the life out of people to get maximize their productivity. People want to exercise but do not have the social or physical bandwidth. You cannot apply this with self-coaching, or coaching, or really anything that does not remove the actual barriers that actually exist independently of psychology.

Seriously health psychology is the ultimate in drunk uncle oversimplistic thinking. The solution to complex problems is rarely simple, let alone so oversimplistic as to be exactly the type of answer you'd expect a child with no understanding of real life to give.

Psychology would do well to turn its efforts on themselves, for a decade or two. Then do it once more for good measure.

 

[Snow Leopard]

In Australian almost-lockdown, when the only reason you're allowed out of the house is to "exercise", actually resulted in a temporary increase in physical activity, at least among a certain demographic.

If you are locking people inside their houses (so to speak), you have to expect a temporary decline in physical activity - the deconditioning of which is not dramatic and can easily be reversed after lockdown is over.

 

[rvallee]

In Australian almost-lockdown, when the only reason you're allowed out of the house is to "exercise", actually resulted in a temporary increase in physical activity, at least among a certain demographic.

If you are locking people inside their houses (so to speak), you have to expect a temporary decline in physical activity - the deconditioning of which is not dramatic and can easily be reversed after lockdown is over.

Spoiler

In case some don't recognize this: it's Footloose, a movie where dancing is banned and this makes people crave dancing