Do you want to avoid a serious case of COVID-19? A new study says you want to exercise regularly.
How to avoid severe COVID-19
A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people who follow physical activity guidelines – which require 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week – had lower chances of severe COVID-19.
- The study – which checked health records for about 50,000 California adults who received COVID-19 – showed that there were lower hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths among those who participated in physical activity.
The study specifically looked at how well the participants followed the guidelines for physical activity of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, suggesting that they should exercise 22 minutes a day.
- ‘For someone who does not exercise regularly, it may sound a little overwhelming. But 22 minutes a day does not have to sign up for a new gym membership, invest in a treadmill or completely overhaul your schedule, “according to CNN.
Healthy people avoid diseases
The study is consistent with what scientists previously felt – that “people who are aerobically fit get fewer colds and other viral infections and recover faster than people who are unable, partly because exercise can boost immune responses”, The New York Times reports .
- “Better fitness also increases the antibody response to vaccinations against flu and other diseases,” according to The New York Times.
- Of course, the new coronavirus is new, so it is unclear whether the same findings apply to the coronavirus.
Biggest Tip to Avoid Serious COVID-19
Dr. Robert Sallis, a sports medicine doctor at the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, who led the study, told The New York Times the results clearly show that “sitting was the biggest risk factor” for severe COVID-19, according to The New York Times.
“I think, based on this data, we can tell people that five times a week, they should quickly help for half an hour to protect themselves from severe COVID-19,” he told The New York Times