COVID-19 is once again spreading in a big way, which is creating curiosity in and around us as to what we can do to raise our guard and boost our immunity! A recent global analysis of data suggests that engaging in at least 20 minutes of daily physical activity may reduce COVID-19 risk or at least prevent one from falling ill for a long time due to the virus. .
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine recommends a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity workouts or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity workouts weekly to protect your body from COVID-19. It concluded that regular physical activity was associated with a lower risk of infection, severe COVID-19, hospitalization and mortality.
According to experts, exercising regularly gives one the best protection against the severity of respiratory infections. Not just covid-19, regular exercise also protects against many other issues like obesity or type 2 diabetes, which occur after the effects of covid-19.
To understand the benefits of following a regular exercise regime, Health Shots reached out to Dr. Pritha Nayyar, Consultant for Respiratory Medicine at Asian Hospital.
Health benefits of daily physical activity to reduce COVID-19 risk
Eating the right diet is important for boosting immunity, but so is physical exercise. According to Dr Nayyar, moving your body daily provides innumerable health benefits. She considers a workout of at least 20-30 minutes at least 3 times a week. It can be anything from a simple daily brisk walk to a bicycle ride to a run.
1. Reduces Stress Levels
Exercise is believed to reduce stress hormones in the body. Stress attacks your body’s immunity in completely unfathomable ways. Being a major cause of poor immunity, it is believed that regular exercise releases endorphins which are the happy hormones and keep stress away. Besides, what’s better than feeling good every day?
2. Gives tough competition to any type of infection
Involving your body in exercise helps it fight infection better by increasing the antibody response. Regular 30 minutes of physical activity increases CD4 cells and IgA which help boost your immunity.
3. Better Quality of Sleep
Generally, 7-8 hours of sleep daily is recommended to rejuvenate your body and increase productivity levels. When your body regularly engages in strenuous high-intensity workouts, your body feels tired by the end of the day. This exhaustion further improves the quality of sleep. And, daily deep sleep works wonders as an immunity booster.
4. Prevents obesity by keeping you fit
Obesity can lead to many chronic health problems and make you lazy and lethargic. Exercising can help shed that extra weight from your body and aid in healthy weight management. Being physically fit is a blessing in itself. A fit person with an ideal weight is less likely to develop chronic diseases. And, even if one catches a disease, the body is still in its right position to give a tough fight against the infection.
5. Reduces severity of COVID-19 disease
Exercises such as running or cycling are proven to increase lung capacity and improve respiratory health. Covid-19 attacks the respiratory organs of people. Therefore, it is essential to keep your respiratory health under control to deal with the risk of catching COVID or reduce the severity of its symptoms. Techniques like deep breathing improve the functioning of your respiratory organs.
