Regular Exercise May Protect Against Severe COVID-19 Infection

Exercise has long been recognized as beneficial to health. A recent study takes this a step further, suggesting that regular exercise protects against severe COVID-19 infection. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the study, involving 50,000 participants, found that those who exercised leading up to contracting SARS-CoV-2 were least likely to be hospitalized or die from the infection. 

Referring to the records of patients in the Kaiser healthcare system in California, researchers divided the participants into groups based on the amount of time they had exercised in the week prior. The least active group exercised 10 minutes or less; the most active group exercised 150 minutes or more; and the moderately active group landed somewhere in between.

The results showed that the least active group was 2.5-fold more likely to die than those in the most active group and 30% more likely to die than those in the moderately active group. The only other risk factors that had a greater impact on COVID-19 infection severity than lack of physical activity were advanced age and organ transplants.

The study authors say this makes sense because exercise promotes better immune function. The research proves there are numerous ways to protect oneself from COVID-19 in addition to the public health narrative to maintain social distance and get vaccinated. It is known, for instance, that those who are deficient in vitamin D have a 1.77-fold higher risk of infection, a 2.57-fold higher risk of more severe infection, and a 2.35-fold higher risk of death, according to a recent meta-analysis.

The findings are significant and prove that if people exercise, maintain normal vitamin D levels, work to lose weight, improve overall health and immune function, along with interventions like social distancing and vaccines, the risk of severe COVID-19 infection is extremely low.