A global analysis of data suggests that regular exercise reduces your risk of developing COVID-19 or becoming seriously ill from the disease, with about 20 minutes a day providing the biggest benefits.
Regular physical activity is associated with a lower risk of COVID-19 infection, severity, hospitalization and death, according to a newly pooled data analysis of available evidence published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Studies show that a weekly total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity provides the best protection.
“Regular physical activity appears to be related to a reduced likelihood of adverse COVID-19 outcomes,” wrote the team of Spanish researchers. “Our analysis shows that individuals who engage in regular physical activity are less likely to have Sars-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 hospitalization, severe COVID-19 illness and COVID-19-related death. is, in comparison to physically inactive individuals, independent of the design and equipment used. ,
Experts know that regular exercise has a protective effect against the severity of respiratory infections.
Regular physical activity is associated with a range of health benefits, including a reduction in the incidence of risk factors for adverse COVID-19 outcomes such as being obese or having type 2 diabetes.
Because of the limitations of the analysis, however, the findings should be interpreted with caution, the researchers said.
Previous research suggests that physical activity can reduce both the risk and severity of respiratory infections not least because of its ability to boost the immune system.
The link between regular physical activity and COVID-19 severity is poorly understood, but involves both metabolic and environmental factors, say researchers, who try to determine the extent of physical activity that can may be necessary to reduce the risk of infection. and related hospital admission and death.
They searched major research databases for relevant studies published between November 2019 and March 2022. From an early run of 291, he aggregated the results of 16.
A total of 1.8 million adults were included in the studies, of whom more than half (54%) were women. The mean age of the participants was 53. Most of the studies were based on observation and were carried out in South Korea, England, Iran, Canada, the UK, Spain, Brazil, Palestine, South Africa and Sweden.
The pooled data analysis showed that, overall, those who included regular physical activity in their weekly routine had an 11% lower risk of infection with Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. was.
They had a 36% lower risk of hospitalization, a 44% lower risk of severe COVID-19 illness, and a 43% lower risk of death from COVID-19 than their physically inactive peers.
The maximum protective effect occurred at approximately 500 Metabolic Equivalent Work (MET) minutes a week, with no further improvement after that.
METS expresses the amount of energy (calories) expended in one minute of physical activity; 500 of those are equivalent to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity.
The researchers cautioned that the analysis included observational studies, different study designs, subjective assessments of physical activity levels, and only beta and delta variants of Sars-CoV-2 rather than omicrons, all of which could undermine the findings.
The researchers said there are plausible biological explanations for what they found. They suggest that regular moderate-intensity exercise may help promote the body’s anti-inflammatory responses as well as cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, all of which may explain its beneficial effects on COVID-19 severity.
“Our findings highlight the protective effects of engaging in adequate physical activity as a public health strategy, with potential benefits for reducing the risk of severe COVID-19,” they wrote. “Given the diversity and risk of publication bias, further studies with standardized methodology and outcome reporting are now needed.”
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