Many studies conducted throughout the pandemic have shown that the prolonged restrictions brought by COVID-19 inflicting many side effects on the physical and mental states of many groups in the population. In the state of Iowa, lesser cases of the coronavirus have been recorded. But even then, experts from the state believe that the effects of the pandemic have the potential to target their citizens.
Lifestyle Shift During COVID-19 Pandemic
Iowa's chains of physical therapy center expert and regional director Ruth Kern-Scott said in a Radio Iowa report that their team is still in pursuit to identify more patients that require attention regarding the impacts they experience during the pandemic. These effects are known to inflict both physical and mental health on the larger population in the United States and eventually affect the normal lifestyles they had before COVID-19 existed.
Ken-Scott added that minor impacts include people sitting in their homes for longer periods of time compared to their stationary limitations at their office jobs. According to the expert, sitting for consecutive hours could cause a lot of negative consequences on the physical wellness of an individual. Some of the well-known issues of people that do not move or sits for long periods are back, upper back, and neck pain.
Iowan citizens are evidently aware that their overall health and wellness are shifting to a much worse condition, according to the expert. The root cause of these health issues is being induced by excessive gain weight and high rates of blood sugar. But the most possible origin of the health anomalies Iowans and other states experience is the massive shift from a workplace-related lifestyle to pandemic-restricted routines.
Kern-Scott said that the state has people who are more fond of working from home than going back to their office due to the ease of access. However, most of the materials they utilize for their home-based jobs are not ergonomically designed. This could result in other effects such as intermittent neck pain. This is back up by the state's increasing cases of disc bulging and sciatica located in the lower back.
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Restrictions of COVID-19 on Physical and Mental Exercise
Kern-Scott is part of the large health center network known as the FYZICALTherapy and Balance Centers. The institute is composed of 400 facilities that are scattered throughout 45 states of the country. The centers help experts to cater to the patients who need specialized programs that are curated to their specific exercise needs. According to the expert, many patients are known to quit their health programs and clubs just because people do not meet the specific exercises for them or do not feel safe to participate in programs due to the threat of COVID-19.
Among the initial steps to join the programs catered by the centers are through computers, which a lot of people have access to. Through the mobile advantage, patients can be reminded of their exercise for a specific amount of time. Kern-Scott believes that devices are beneficial to track the health status of the patients, and the results showed even to the expert as they monitored their own health activities during the pandemic.
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