While it’s not surprising to learn about the health benefits of physical activity and regular exercise, a new study shows it can also reduce the chances of getting serious Covid-19 infections. While the world has returned to work in offices, the virus has not gone away and people have yet to take all necessary precautions to live with the virus. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine talks about the link between exercise and the likelihood of contracting the virus.
Incorporating regular physical activity into your weekly routine helps protect yourself from Covid-19, according to the peer-reviewed analysis of 16 global studies covering more than 1.8 million adults. “People who exercised regularly had an 11 percent lower risk of infection and a 44 percent lower risk of serious illness than their physically inactive peers,” the study said.
The researchers said the findings could help policymakers and clinicians develop guidelines to reduce the risk of Covid-19, although they noted that the results differed using studies with different research methods and subjective activity assessments could distinguish and warned that this study only covered the beta and delta variants of the virus, not the Omicron variants that are prevalent today.
Another study published by the National Library of Medicine emphasizes the importance of brisk walking, calling it a moderate-intensity, economic activity that most people can do. It details the types of benefits associated with different types of exercise, recounting, for example, the inverse relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and obesity. Exercise helps reduce obesity, which in turn leads to a healthy heart and lungs.
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However, the study highlights the preventative nature of exercise and recommends that if symptoms of the disease that has occurred do occur, exercise can be reduced as directed by the doctor.
