According to a new study published in the Journal of Preventative Medicine, regular exercise and physical activity can greatly reduce the risk of severe outcomes, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.
The study, which analyzed data from over 194,000 people between January 2020 and May 2021 as part of Kaiser Permanente’s healthcare database, found that those who regularly exercised had 91% lower odds of being hospitalized with COVID-19 and 291% lower odds of dying from the virus compared to those who did not regularly exercise.
“There were protective associations of physical activity for adverse COVID-19 outcomes across demographic and clinical characteristics,” the study authors concluded. “Public health leaders should add physical activity to pandemic control strategies.”
The study also found that 58% of those surveyed were inactive or mostly inactive. This highlights the importance of improving physical activity levels for the general population.
The key takeaway from the study is that every bit of physical activity counts, according to Deborah Rohm Young, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and the director of the Division of Behavioral Research for the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. “The more exercise the better, no matter a person’s race, ethnicity, age, sex, or chronic conditions,” Young said.
According to the study’s senior author, Robert E. Sallis, MD, a family and sports medicine physician at the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, the findings of the study emphasize the importance for doctors to stress to their patients that getting vaccinated and increasing physical activity are two of the most effective ways to prevent severe outcomes from COVID-19. “Our findings drive home the need for physicians to emphasize to their patients that getting vaccinated and being more physically active are two of the most important things you can do to prevent severe outcomes of COVID-19,” he said.
While the protective effects of exercise on respiratory infections have long been known, this study provides further evidence of the crucial role that regular physical activity can play in preventing severe illness and death from COVID.
Nutrition author Mike Mutzel posted a report of the new study to his YouTube channel, pointing out that mainstream news outlets are not reporting on the findings. “This should be front page news on CNN, MSNBC, Wall Street Journal New York Times, Washington Post,” Mutzel urged. “It’s time that we make movement, exercise, nutrition, healthy living the main thing.”
