Physically Active Lifestyle as an Approach to Confronting COVID-19

The rapid, uncontrollable spread of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) throughout the world, in conjunction with its severity, led the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) to characterize the situation as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.¹It is currently possible to observe increasingly intense efforts on the part of health organizations and public authorities with the aim of containing the progress and spread of SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 has emerged as a new subtype of human severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV) characterized by high transmission capacity and induction of severe respiratory infection. Recent studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients affected by COVID-19 who died in Wuhan, China,^2,3which was the epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak; this suggests that these comorbidities are important risk factors for deterioration and worse prognosis of complications associated with COVID-19.

Considering the recommendations for social isolation currently imposed in different countries, it is fundamental to encourage the population to maintain a physically active lifestyle routine as a preventative health measure during this period of confronting the spread of the virus. During periods of confinement at home, the population tends to adopt a sedentary routine, which favors increased body weight gain, as well as the emergence of comorbidities associated with greater cardiovascular risk, such as obesity, increased blood pressure, and glucose intolerance, in addition to psychosocial disorders such as anxiety and depression. Sedentary behavior, whether sitting, watching TV, or spending time in front of electronic devices, has in fact been associated with increased body weight in children, adolescents, adults and elderly⁶as well as with a marked increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality.⁷It has, on the contrary, been shown that the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and mortality is reduced in individuals with physically active life habits, such as going on moderately intense walks.⁸It has furthermore been demonstrated that the risk of upper respiratory tract infection due to coronavirus is potentially greater in the presence of immune system deficiency.⁹In this sense, there is strong evidence in the literature that practicing physical exercise is a beneficial measure for improving immunity.^10-12The American College of Sports Medicine has recently published a guide suggesting that moderately intense physical activity should be maintained during the period of quarantine due to SARS-CoV-2, emphasizing the importance of every minute of physical activity to health.¹³

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