Reduce risk of severe COVID-19 with regular activity, study says. Here's how to get in 22 minutes of exercise daily

NEW YORK (CNN) - A history of constant activity is strongly linked to a decreased risk of severe COVID-19, according to a new study released Tuesday.

The Kaiser Permanente study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at nearly 50,000 adults with COVID-19. The study found that those who met the goal of the U.S. Department of Health's guidelines for physical activity - of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity - had significantly lower incidences of hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths due to Covid19 disease.

The guidelines, which are in line with the guidelines of many World Health Organization organizations, are based on research that supports the ability of physical activity to boost immune function, reduce systemic inflammation, improve pulmonary and cardiovascular health, and improve mental health .

With all of the benefits of regular exercise, it's not surprising that physical activity that follows these guidelines will also reduce the severity of symptoms of COVID-19. In fact, acute COVID illness is just one of the many potential negative effects of sedentary lifestyle, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.

So far, the risk factors for severe COVID-19 identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include advanced age, masculinity, and underlying comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Many of the risk factors listed are difficult, if not impossible, to mitigate. So it is understandable if you feel powerless in the face of some of them. However, the results of this new study could potentially put inactivity high on that list. Since inactivity is a changeable risk factor, you can probably control it! Read on to learn how.

To hit the 150-minute training threshold over the course of a week, you need to train just under 22 minutes a day. This may sound a bit overwhelming to someone who doesn't exercise regularly. However, 22 minutes a day doesn't have to mean signing up for a new gym membership or completely revising your schedule.

With the right strategies, you can achieve your daily exercise goal without compromising your lifestyle. This is important for maintaining your new level of activity.

Here are five practical, sustainable strategies you can use to achieve 22 active minutes a day.

Important note: Before starting a new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you are in pain.

1. Take regular walks

Because walking is so accessible, it's easy to devalue its benefits. However, the reality is that taking a brisk walk is one of the most underrated, health promoting, and fat burning exercises available to mankind.

You probably walk at least a little every day. Maybe go to your mailbox or from your car to your office. Would you be able to take a five- or ten-minute stroll around the neighborhood before you get the mail or go into your office?

Do you have a dog that you run every day? Could you add time to your daily dog walks?

If you don't already go for a walk, is there one activity you enjoy that you would like to do more than talking on the phone or listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or other music with a friend or family member? When you combine an activity you enjoy with your walk, you can look forward to doing more regularly and it will be easier to incorporate walking into your daily schedule.

2. Practice short bursts of activity

The physical activity guidelines don't state that you need to exercise large periods of time each day. The important thing is that you hit the 150 minute goal every week. You can divide your activities into the periods of time that best suit your lifestyle.

For people with more sedentary lifestyle, it may be easier to ride with shorter training sessions. If you divide 22 minutes into smaller blocks of time throughout the day, you will be surprised how quickly this time goes by.

What if you did six short jumps of four minutes of exercise? After 24 minutes you would have two minutes. The same applies to eight training units of just three minutes of training.

If this sounds good to you, check out this article on how to exercise a few minutes every hour throughout the day.

3. Train smarter, not longer

When it comes to exercising, the standard belief is that we need at least an hour a day. Among other things, a 2016 study led many people to believe that the ideal daily exercise goal was 60 to 75 minutes. However, recent research has debunked these earlier studies and found them to be based on self-reported data that was inaccurate due to people remembering their actual levels of activity.

Exercising 22 minutes a day is more than enough to hit the 150 minute weekly threshold. An effective and heart-healthy way to get into those minutes is with a short interval training session consisting of four rounds of five exercises, each performed for one minute. These can be bodyweight exercises like pushups, squats, lunges, hip bridges, and jumping jacks. Add in a warm up and cooldown in a few minutes and you will easily hit your 22 minute mark.

Learn more about interval training here.

4. Return to the game

Did you do sports as a child? What were your favorite outdoor activities? By returning to the playful activities of your youth, you can add more exercise to your life in a fun and stimulating way.

If you played basketball in school, can you get back into it by joining an adult league or finding a group that regularly plays pickup games? You may have started martial arts as a kid but never made it to your black belt. What is holding you back now Is there a pastime you and your significant other or good friend could do together, such as tennis, golf, or cycling?

Or maybe you have children of your own who play sports. Could you practice with them When they're younger, playing games like Tag or Hopscotch will get your blood pumping while you have a good time together. You can find more ideas for exercising as a family here.

5. Track your activity

Do you really know how much moderate to vigorous activity you do each day? Just like the people in the studies I mentioned above who mistakenly remembered and reported their exercise activity, you can downgrade your own level of activity.

There are tons of wearable technology options to keep track of your activity. You might even be wearing one now. Whether you're using technology or a good old-fashioned pen and paper, when we track our activities we're not only keeping a more accurate record, but we're also taking an extra step toward personal accountability.

Accountability is an essential part of helping us achieve our fitness goals. A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people walk almost an extra mile a day using an activity tracker on their phone or watch. And those study participants who had fitness trackers that provided exercise prompts did even more.

Regardless of how you track your fitness - with wearable technology or simply by keeping a journal - keeping a record of your progress will help you stay on top of things.

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