St. Albert’s Catholic school board will host a free talk this Thursday on the importance of fitness for mental health in these COVID times.
Edmonton chiropractor Adriana Mar is hosting a free talk Feb. 18 on how physical activity affects mental health. The talk is organized by Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools and Alberta Health Services as part of the GSACRD Voice mental health series.
Researchers have found considerable evidence regular physical activity improves sleep, mental health and academic performance amongst youth by releasing various hormones and neurotransmitters, Mar said.
But there’s also plenty of evidence Canadians aren’t getting the exercise they need to stay healthy. Statistics Canada reports that just one in five Canadian adults got the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity prior to the pandemic, and that most had increased the amount of time they spent watching TV or using the Internet since the pandemic started.
"Physical activity and movement don’t have to be something you do at the gym,” Mar said.
Mar encouraged parents and students to get creative when it came to adding physical activity to their daily routines. Families can build a snowman or shovel the sidewalks to stay fit, and athletes can stage team workouts over Zoom to keep in touch with their teammates. Even cleaning the house can count as activity if you’re strapped for time.
Mar’s talk runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Visit gsacrdvoice-physicalactivity.eventbrite.ca to register.
