As the world looks for effective ways to ‘live with Covid’, new research by the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that regular physical activity can help lower the risk of contracting Covid-19 or developing severe disease.
The peer-reviewed analysis of 16 global studies that included more than 1.8 million adults found that 150 minutes of moderate, or 75 minutes of vigorous, physical activity a week offers the best protection against Covid.
This equates to as little as 20 minutes of exercise a day.
“This comprehensive analysis of 16 different studies puts beyond doubt the benefits of exercise when it comes to staving off Covid, and also shows that its effects are also reduced if infection occurs.
“The key thing here is for people to explore a type of exercise that they enjoy and that they can keep up for the long term,” explains Mike Kunitz, CEO of Fitillion, a new generation fitness company providing both in-home and in-gym workout options.
The research also showed that regular exercise may also boost immunity and anti-inflammatory responses and reduce the negative effects of stress.
“The study clearly showed that by increasing cardio and muscle fitness people are able to increase the protective effect of physical activity which in turn has a positive impact on reducing Covid hospitalisation, severity and mortality,” Mike explains.
The research clearly showed that those who included regular physical activity in their weekly routine had:
- 11% lower risk of infection with Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid
- 36% lower risk of hospital admission
- 44% lower risk of severe Covid-19 illness
- 43% lower risk of death from Covid-19 than their physically inactive peers
About us:
Fitillion is a fitness-tech company with headquarters in Sydney, Australia. Our passionate teams of sports scientists, software developers, engineers and athletes have created a cutting-edge range of gym and fitness products. F
