Severe Covid-19 infection: Reduces risk with regular physical activity, according to the study

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The Kaiser Permanente study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examined nearly 50,000 adults with Covid-19. The research found that those who met the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ physical activity guidelines goal (at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity) showed significantly lower incidences of hospitalization, admission to the ICU and death from covid disease19.
The guidelines, which are the same as the World Health Organization guidelines used by many nations, are based on research that supports the ability of physical activity to increase immune function, reduce systemic inflammation, increase health pulmonary and cardiovascular and improve mental health.
With all these benefits that regular movement brings, it is perhaps not surprising that physical activity that meets these guidelines also decreases the severity of Covid-19 symptoms. In fact, acute Covid disease is just one of many possible negative impacts of sedentary behavior, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke, and some types of cancer.
To date, severe Covid-19 risk factors, identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include being elderly, being male, and having underlying comorbidities, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Many of the risk factors listed are difficult, if not impossible, to mitigate, so it is understandable if you feel powerless in the face of some of them. However, the results of this new study could certainly add inactivity to the top of this list. Because inactivity is a modifiable risk factor, you can absolutely control it. Keep reading to find out how.

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To reach the 150-minute exercise threshold over the course of a week, you need to exercise just under 22 minutes a day. For someone who doesn’t exercise regularly, it can seem a little overwhelming. But 22 minutes a day doesn’t have to mean signing up for a new gym subscription, investing in a treadmill, or completely renewing your schedule.

With the right strategies, you can achieve your daily exercise goal without very little disruption to your lifestyle, which is important in order to maintain your new level of activity.

Here are five practical and sustainable strategies to help you get 22 active minutes a day.

Important Note: Before starting a new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain.

1. Take regular walks

Because walking is so accessible, it’s easy to discount the benefits. The reality, however, is that a brisk walk is one of the most underrated exercises to increase health and to burn fat available to humanity.
If you walk regularly with a dog companion, extending the route is an easy way to get 22 minutes of activity each day.

You probably already walk at least a little bit every day. Maybe go to your mailbox or from the car to your office. Would it be possible to join you on a five- or ten-minute walk around the neighborhood before receiving mail or entering your office?

Do you have a dog that you walk every day? Could you add time to the daily dog ​​walks?

If you don’t walk regularly yet, are there any activities you enjoy and want to do more often that you can combine with your walk, such as talking on the phone with a friend or family member or listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or music? Combining an activity you enjoy with your walk will make it something you want to do more regularly and make it easier for you to add walks to your daily schedule.

2. Practice short activities

The physical activity guidelines do not specify that you need to exercise every day for long periods of time. The important thing is to reach the goal of 150 minutes each week. You can divide your activities into the most manageable time periods for your lifestyle.

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For people with more sedentary runs, it may be easier to do shorter exercises. When you divide 22 minutes into smaller blocks of time throughout the day, you’ll be amazed at how quickly that time passes.

What if you made six short savings of four minutes of exercise? In 24 minutes, you would have two minutes to rest. The same goes for eight attacks of just three minutes of exercise.

If you feel like it, check out this article to find specific ways to exercise for a few minutes every hour throughout the day.

3. Exercise smarter and no more

When it comes to work, the standard belief is that we need at least an hour a day. A 2016 study, among others, led many people to believe that the ideal daily exercise goal was 60 to 75 minutes. However, more recent research discredited these previous studies, finding that they were based on self-reported data that were flawed because people did not remember their actual activity levels.
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Working for 22 minutes a day is more than enough to reach the weekly 150-minute threshold. An effective and healthy way for the heart to reach these minutes is with a quick interval training session that consists of four rounds of five exercises done for one minute each. These could include bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats, lunges, hip bridges and jumping cats. Add a couple of minutes of warm-up and cooling and you’ll easily reach your 22-minute mark.
Fitness expert Dana Santas demonstrates a flexion that increases upper body strength.
You can learn more about interval training here.

4. Play again

As a child, did you play any sports? What were your favorite outdoor activities? By returning to the recreational activities of your youth, you can add more exercise to your life in a fun and energetic way.

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If you played basketball at school, could you re-participate in an adult league or find a group that regularly played pick-up games? Maybe you started doing martial arts as a kid but you never got to the black belt. What is holding you back now? Are there any recreational activities that you and your friend or a good friend can do together, such as tennis, golf, or cycling?

Or maybe you have children of your own who play sports. Could you practice with them? If they are younger, playing games like etiquette or the box will make your blood flow as you enjoy quality time together. For more ideas on family exercise, read this.

5. Keep track of your activity

Do you really know what moderate to rigorous activity you do every day? Like the people in the studies I mentioned earlier who remembered badly and did not report their exercise activity, you may be discounting your own level of activity.

Upgrade your workout at home with this premium physical equipment (CNN unreviewed)

There are a myriad of usable technology options for tracking your business. You might even bring one now. Whether you use technology or a good old-fashioned paper and pencil, when we keep track of our business, we not only keep a more accurate record, but we take an extra step in personal responsibility.

Accountability helps us a lot to stay on track with fitness goals. A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people walk nearly an extra mile a day when they use an activity tracker on their phone or watch. And study participants who had fitness trackers that provided directions for exercise did even more.

Regardless of how you keep track of your fitness (with wearable technology or just keeping a journal), recording your progress will help keep you up to date.

If you are not exercising regularly or have been active daily for some time, check with CNN Fitness, Newsletter Best Newsletter, designed to get you back into a healthy, active routine.

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