The current Coronavirus Pandemic is attacking every aspect of our societies the world over. At a time when the welfare of humanity is most important, we mustn’t ignore what can be done on an individual level. Can being fit help protect you against Coronavirus? Some experts are suggesting ‘yes’ and here’s how.
How can fitness help fight coronavirus?
This weeks Sunday Times newspaper highlighted that having a good level of fitness offers some protection. Possessing a high level of cardio-respiratory fitness could combat the negative symptoms of Covid-19. Coronavirus can attack the lungs, making breathing difficult to the point where those worst affected may require ventilators.
A healthy individual with normal lung function does not use the full ventilating capacity of their lungs. Only during maximal exercise situations would a person be breathing as hard as they can. Even then, science has shown that it’s the heart and blood that limits the supply of oxygen around the body. Despite this, people who perform regular moderate intensity exercise do increase the capacity of their lungs.
Having an increased lung capacity through exercise may offer additional reserves in the fight against infections. Therefore, it isn’t unfeasible that improved respiratory capacity may offer some guard against the adverse effects of Covid-19.
Starting too late?
No! Even in lockdown something is better than nothing. The benefits of improving cardiorespiratory fitness, improving diet and losing weight cannot be a bad thing. Reduced metabolic stress placed upon the body bolsters the immune system to fight infections. Taking regular daily exercise for 30-40 minutes at a moderate intensity also improves health markers for other illnesses and diseases.
It has been well documented that Coronavirus poses more threat to those with underlying health conditions. Regular exercise is one measure we can all take to minimise that risk.