Islamabad, Sep 5(ABC): Regular physical activity may be linked to a lower risk of developing COVID-19.
A 2021 Kaiser Permanente study of about 49,000 people with COVID-19 found that regular physical activity was strongly associated with a reduced risk for severe outcomes from the disease.
With a new systematic review and meta-analysis published recently in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a team of Spanish researchers set out to evaluate the current evidence on the effect of habitual physical activity on COVID-19 outcomes.
The review also aimed to quantify how much regular physical activity a person would need to have a reduced risk of severe outcomes if they do develop the disease.
The review found that regular physical activity is related to a lower risk of developing COVID-19, a lower likelihood of experiencing severe symptoms in individuals who do develop the disease, as well as a lower likelihood of being hospitalized or dying because of it.
Specifically, the analysis found that individuals who regularly included physical activity in their schedules had an 11% lower risk of developing COVID-19. Those who habitually exercised and developed COVID-19 had a 44% lower risk of developing severe illness, a 36% lower risk of being admitted to hospital, and a 43% lower risk of death from COVID-19.
The researchers found that 2 and a half hours of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week provides the best protection.
Dr. YasminEzzatvar, co-author of the paper and a doctor of physical therapy who lectures at the University of Valencia in Spain, told Medical News Today that she and the other researchers were motivated to conduct this review because the work was needed “to inform clinical decisions and public health strategies.”
Physical activity bolsters the immune system
A body of work by other researchers has found that individuals who make time for regular physical activity face a reduced risk of acquiring infectious diseases.
A systematic review published in 2021, for instance, found that habitual moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with 31% lower prospective risk of infectious disease and 37% lower risk of infectious disease-related mortality.
“The health benefits of regular physical activity and exercise are well documented,” Dr. Ezzatvar told MNT. “Regular physical activity elicits a plethora of physiological adaptations that improve health either directly or indirectly.”
A number of factors may be behind the protective effect of habitual exercise.
“There is evidence that regular physical activity might contribute to a more effective immune response, providing enhanced protective immunity to infections, which could explain the relationship between exercise consistency [and] COVID-19 [risk].”