Severity of COVID reduced with regular exercise: From a recent study, exercise at any level helps to protect from COVID

COVID-19 has established itself as a disease that continues to evolve and mutate, making it a challenging virus that may not be eliminated in the near future. However, there continues to be concerted efforts to mitigate the risks of COVID and to manage one’s life accordingly.  In a recent study from Kaiser Permanente published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, nearly 200,000 adults were tested for their COVID symptoms in comparison to their self-reported fitness patterns.  

The study broke down the exercise habits of the patients into different groups. “Always inactive” was defined as getting 10 minutes or less of exercise a week; “mostly inactive” is 10 to 60 minutes of exercise a week; “some activity” is 60 to 150 minutes of exercise a week; and “consistently active” with a median of 150 minutes or more a week of exercise and constantly active being 150 minutes or more of exercise for every self-assessment. 

The study found that those who reported as constantly inactive were 91% more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 and 291% more likely to die from it than those who were considered constantly active. The study found that this was the largest contributor to mitigating severity, regardless of race or chronic conditions. This also goes on to show that any level of physical activity begins to help decrease the risk for hospitalization from COVID, but the more activity the better. 

Because of the linkage between activity and the reduction of COVID-19 risks, it should be emphasized that getting vaccinated and being more physically active are the two most important ways to prevent the outcomes of COVID-19.