Regular physical activity tied to lower risk of COVID, poor outcomes

At least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate physical activity—or 75 minutes (1.2 hours) of vigorous exercise—weekly was linked to a lower risk of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, severe illness, and death during periods dominated by the Beta and Delta variants, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published yesterday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.A University of Valencia researcher in Spain led the analysis of 16 studies that assessed the link between regular physical activity and one or more COVID-19 outcomes in 1,853,610 adults published from November 2019 to March 2022.

Average participant age was 53 years, and 54% were women.The included research included cross-sectional, case-control, prospective cohort, and retrospective observational studies from Africa, Asia, North and South America, and the Middle East.No additional benefits seen beyond targetCompared with their sedentary peers, adults who engaged in moderate physical activity for at least 150 minutes or vigorous exercise for at least 75 minutes per week were at lower risk for COVID-19 infection (-11%), hospitalization (-36%), severe COVID-19 (-44%), and COVID-related death (-43%).

The relative risks (RRs) for regular exercisers were 0.89 for infection, 0.64 for hospital admission, 0.66 for severe illness, and 0.57 for COVID-related death.The dose-response relationship between physical activity and severe illness and death was nonlinear.

No additional benefits for any outcome were seen beyond the physical activity targets.The researchers noted that regular physical activity has been associated with the reduction of risk factors for poor COVID-19 outcomes, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and may boost immunity and