According to a new study published on April 13, 2021, routine physical activities are linked to a lower risk of severe Covid-19. The Kaiser Permanente study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at nearly 50,000 adults with Covid-19. People who met the US Department of Health and Human Services’ physical activity guidelines — at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week — had substantially lower incidences of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death due to Covid-19 disease, according to the study.

Due to benefits of regular exercise, physical activity that follows these guidelines will reduce the severity of Covid-19 symptoms. Acute Covid illness is just one of the many negative effects of sedentary behavior, which has been related to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified the following risk factors for severe Covid-19: advanced age, male gender, and underlying comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Many of the risk factors mentioned are difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate, so people may feel powerless to face them. The results of this new study added inactivity to the top of the list.