NEW YORK (CNN) – A history of consistently active activity is strongly linked to a reduced risk of severe COVID-19, according to a new study released Tuesday.
The Kaiser Permanent study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at nearly 50,000 adults with COVID-19. The research found that those who met the goal of the US Department of Health and Human Services’ guidelines for physical activity – from at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity – significantly lower cases of hospitalization, ICU admission and death due to Covid19 disease.
The guidelines, which are the same as the World Health Organization guidelines used by many countries, are based on research that supports the ability of physical activity to boost immune function, reduce systemic inflammation, increase lung and cardiovascular health, and mental health. to improve.
With all the benefits of regular exercise, it may not be so surprising that physical activity that meets these guidelines will also reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Indeed, acute COVID disease is but one of the many possible negative consequences of sedentary behavior, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke and some cancers.
To date, the risk factors for severe COVID-19, as identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are advanced age, masculinity, and underlying comorbidities, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
Many of the listed risk factors are difficult, if not impossible, to mitigate, so it is understandable if you feel powerless over some of them. The results of this new study are likely to contribute to inactivity at the top of the list. Since inactivity is an adaptable risk factor, you can probably control it! Read on to learn how.
To reach the 150-minute exercise threshold over the course of a week, you should exercise just under 22 minutes daily. For someone who does not exercise regularly, this may sound a little overwhelming. But 22 minutes a day does not have to sign up for a new gym membership or to completely revamp your schedule.
With the right strategies, you can achieve your daily exercise goal with very little disruption to your lifestyle, which is important to be able to maintain your new activity level.
Here are five practical, sustainable strategies to help you get 22 active minutes a day.
Important note: Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program. Stop immediately if you experience pain.
1. Walk regularly
Because walking is so accessible, it is easy to reduce its benefits. The reality, however, is that a brisk walk is one of the most underrated, health-enhancing, fat-burning exercises available to mankind.
You probably walk at least a little bit every day. Maybe you walk to your mailbox or from your car to your office. Would it be possible to take a five or ten minute walk through the area before receiving the mail or entering your office?
Do you have a dog that you walk daily? Can you add time for your daily walk by the dog?
If you do not walk regularly yet, is there an activity you enjoy and wish you had done more regularly to connect with your walk, such as talking on the phone with a friend or family member or going to podcasts, audiobooks or music? Linking an activity you enjoy to your walk will make you want to do more on a regular basis, and will make it easier to add walking to your daily schedule.
2. Practice short activities
The guidelines for physical activity do not stipulate that you should exercise in large chunks every day. What is important is that you reach the 150 minute goal each week. You can divide your activities into the time frames that are most manageable for your lifestyle.
For people with a more sedentary career, it may be easier to do shorter exercises. If you break into smaller blocks for 22 minutes during the day, you will be amazed at how fast time flies by.
What if you did six short four-minute exercises? After 24 minutes you have two minutes to save. The same goes for eight periods of just three minutes of exercise.
If this sounds good to you, check out this article for specific ways to exercise for a few minutes every hour during your day.
3. Work out smarter, no longer
When it comes to exercise, the standard belief is that we need at least an hour a day. A 2016 study led people to believe, among other things, that the ideal daily exercise target was 60 to 75 minutes. However, more recent research has unleashed previous studies and found that it is based on data that was self-reported and that was deficient because people incorrectly remember their actual activity levels.
Exercising 22 minutes a day is more than enough to reach the weekly threshold of 150 minutes. An effective, heart-healthy way to get within those minutes is with a quick interval workout that consists of four rounds of five exercises done each one minute. This can include bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats, lunges, hip bridges and jumpsuits. Add a few minutes of warming up and cooling down so you can easily reach a point of 22 minutes.
You can learn more about interval training here.
4. Return to play
Did you play a sport when you were a child? What were your favorite outdoor activities? By returning to the playful activities of your youth, you can add more exercise to your life in a fun and energetic way.
If you played basketball at school, would you be able to return to it by participating in an adult league or finding a group that regularly plays bowling games? Maybe you started out as a martial artist, but never got your black belt. What is holding you back now? Is there a recreational activity that you and your important person or a good friend can do together, such as tennis, golf or cycling?
Or maybe you have your own kids who play sports. Can you practice with them? If it’s smaller, playing games like tag or hopscotch will make you pump blood while enjoying quality time together. Read on for more ideas on how to exercise as a family.
5. Track your activity
Do you really know how many moderate to strenuous activities you do each day? Just like the people in the studies I mentioned above, who remember and underreport their exercise activities incorrectly, you may be reducing your own activity level.
There are a myriad of portable technology options to track your activity. You can even wear one now. Whether we use technology or a good old-fashioned pen and paper, we not only keep a more accurate record, but we take an extra step in personal liability.
Responsibility helps us stay on track with fitness goals. A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people walk almost an extra mile a day using an activity tracker on their phone or watch. And the study participants who had fitness trackers who asked for exercise did even more.
No matter how you track your fitness – with portable technology or simply by keeping a journal – recording your progress will help you stay on track.
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