High levels of physical activity reduce risk of developing coronavirus infection and hospitalization, study finds

A cohort study of older adults found that those who followed recommended exercise guidelines before the pandemic were significantly more likely to become infected with COVID-19 and be hospitalized than those who did not follow the guidelines. was found to be low in

Need another reason to keep up your exercise routine? Staying active may help prevent infection and hospitalization from COVID-19.

A new study led by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Massachusetts General Brigham, finds that higher levels of physical activity before the pandemic began in 2020 were associated with higher levels of COVID-19 infection. This suggests that they were less likely to become infected or develop an infectious disease from it. It was severe enough to require hospitalization.

The study found that adults who adhered to U.S. and World Health Organization physical activity guidelines before the pandemic were 10% less likely to become infected with COVID-19 than those who were inactive. They were found to be 27% less likely to be hospitalized due to an infectious disease. Result is, JAMA network open.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a very unique opportunity to examine the potential benefits of physical activity from data collected before the pandemic began,” said first author and DVM, said Dennis Muñoz Vergara, MPH, instructor at Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. Department of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

This study combines data from three ongoing prospective randomized clinical trial cohorts (COSMOS, VITAL, and WHS), which included 61,557 adults with an average age of 76 years and included pre-pandemic lifestyle factors and physical activity. I made a self-report regarding this. Activities like cycling, walking, running, climbing stairs.

Participants were then classified as inactive, insufficiently active, or fully active based on physical activity guidelines. From May 2020 to May 2022, people who were fully active had 10% fewer COVID-19 infections and fewer hospitalizations due to COVID-19 than those who were inactive. decreased by 27%. The findings also suggest that the benefits of physical activity against COVID-19 may be stronger in women.

Limitations of this study include being observational, using self-reported data, and not accounting for changes in health behaviors that may have occurred during the pandemic. Further research is needed to generalize these findings to different groups of people.

The research team plans to further investigate the link between physical activity and other aspects of health and well-being, such as depression and social connectedness, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This large and unique study of older adults who have survived the onset of the pandemic demonstrates that the body’s “It provides important support for human health.” Activities to prevent COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations may extend more broadly to strengthening immune function and reducing vulnerability to infections. ”