Blog Week 3

I searched the Wall Street Journal for a relatively recent article about fitness and cognition. I specifically wanted to look at the connection between fitness and positive mental health benefits. The article is from December 14, 2020 and is titled “A Fitness Regimen Helps Keep Covid Pandemic Stress in Check”. I really enjoyed reading this article because of the relevance it has in my life and in what I want to focus on in this class.

The article focuses on a couple that is in their mid-30s but suffering from a range of health issues. The pandemic forced them to look at their health differently and make the most of a tough situation. Most people had similar experiences, with most gyms being closed for a portion of 2020 and disrupting any routines that involved the gym. It talks about innovation and adaptation, such as using one piece of equipment (a rowing machine) to do a wide variety of exercises. They also were forced to be together during the pandemic, which led to healthy motivation through competition. Like many others, they invested in a Peleton bike which allowed them to perform cardio and muscle training. They also go through the couple’s diet, which is mainly healthy and sourced locally.

Overall, the article touches upon the mental health boost a workout or exercise can provide. They emphasized mindfulness incorporated into activities such as stretching or yoga. They also emphasize the importance of going outdoors, which is something I have worked on within my internship. The Ecological Society of America published an article about mental health and the outdoors which has been shared extensively: https://www.verywellmind.com/nature-can-boost-mental-health-during-the-pandemic-study-finds-5088601. There is evidence that green spaces bring improvements to mental health, alongside fitness routines as proven in this WSJ article.

I would like to touch upon the potential negative side of this article, as I have some critiques that are important to discuss. This article seems quite classist, as most people don’t have the money to splurge on a Peleton bike or rowing machine when they're stuck inside. They focused on people who, during the lockdowns, could afford to get healthy groceries delivered to their doorstep. I think it would be a more helpful article to focus on those who may not be as fortunate as this couple and have to actually be frontline workers without work-from-home opportunities, still suffering from the stress of COVID (even more so due to putting themselves at risk) but also having to keep fitness in mind for their wellbeing. The article was very brief. It mentioned only one researcher from UC Berkeley and then a weird fact about writing. The lives of the couple may be stressful due to the pandemic and it's nice that we got to see the ways that fitness and a workout routine helped this couple, however, it excludes a large portion of the population who cannot go out and buy Peleton equipment to help them improve their health, mentally and physically.