To Make It Clear. Covid Has a Boss. You.

 

January 7, 2023

By Ray Glier

If you had covid-19 and survived and you worked out 30 minutes almost daily give yourself a pat on the back. It is no accident you are still with us.

Kaiser Permanente in southern California studied the exercise and Covid-19 outcomes of 194,191 people. Those who were working out 30 minutes most days of the week were four times more likely to survive the virus than those who were inactive.

Robert Sallis, the lead author on the study, said exercise "is even more powerful than we thought at protecting people from severe covid."

Here is some more direct data on the study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. 

So, if you were working out and contracted covid-19, chances are it did not kill you.

There was plenty of anecdotal evidence of this already from health care practitioners on the front line battling a virus that has killed seven million people worldwide.

There were also studies of people who never exercised and exercised seven days a week. This recent study included a cohort of people who exercised from an hour a week to 30 hours a week. It measured the exercise dabblers and found even they received benefit. The average exerciser received some help from that long walk.

What does that say about your readiness for the next illness that comes around?

It says get ready. And it doesn't have to be covid-19 that exercise saves you from. Here is a Geezer Jock story of a man with a heart issue who feels certain his physical fitness saved him.

Exercise "is such a simple, inexpensive way to protect yourself,” Sallis said.