Effect of a home-based training program during the social distancing due to COVID19 on mental health: a study in young women

Abstract

The social distancing adopted in 2020 as a preventive measure against the Coranavirus (COVID-19), resulted in a decrease in physical activity levels and negative responses in the mental health of the population, especially young women. The present study aimed to verify the effect of a home-based training program on young women mental health. A quasi-experimental study, with a longitudinal approach, in which seven women (31.7 ± 7.89 years old) from a recreational volleyball team completed the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SQR-20) for mental health, before and after the program. Descriptive statistics was used by the values from the questionnaire. The results showed that the home physical exercise program was not effective to mitigate the negative impacts on these women's mental health. Thus, the lockdown can be negative for the mental health of young women, and even with the engagement in an exercise program, its effects continue to be harmful. It is suggested that the home-based exercise program should be adjusted to be more effective in terms of improving mental health, in addition to engaging women in multidisciplinary programs that help with mental health.