courtesy Tamera Mowry-Housley

Tamera Mowry-Housley says that exercising amid the coronavirus pandemic has made her feel so much better — and not just physically.

“Exercise and moving my body really helped me mentally once the pandemic was upon us,” says Mowry-Housley, 42, who is teaming up with Zumba to encourage everyone to make time for a mental and physical break – a Zumba Break – ahead of World Mental Health Day on Saturday. 

Explaining that she has been dealing with “a lot of stress and anxiety” during the health crisis, the actress says that staying fit has boosted her mental health.

“When we all had to be quarantined for so long, I really discovered the importance of diving back into exercising now that I had the time,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively.

RELATED: CDC Report Finds that 1 in 4 Young Adults Considered Suicide Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

courtesy Tamera Mowry-Housley