How exercise can protect against coronavirus – but don’t overdo it
AS it stands, the Government’s lockdown guidelines allow for one exercise session a day amid the coronavirus outbreak.
And that one opportunity to get outside a day - whether it's a walk, run or cycle - has seen droves of newly-enthused people jump on the fitness bandwagon.
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In particular, amid the lockdown gloom, exercise can give you a sense of normality and rhythm - and help you switch off from the constant scroll of coronavirus news updates.
However, before you get carried away with pounding the pavements or following countless Instagram live workout sessions - it's worth knowing exactly how much exercise you should be doing during this pandemic.
The main thing to take away is it's all about balance - both too much and too little exercise will be bad for you during lockdown.
How can exercise protect against coronavirus?
Exercise can maximise your chances of fighting the deadly virus - as a string of studies have shown it can influence the the body's immune system.
Regular stints of moderate-intensity exercise can have a positive effect by reducing our susceptibility to infection.
But on the other hand, too much exercise can have the opposite effect, leaving us more vulnerable.
In particular, healthy levels of exercise can boost the body’s immune system, which helps to fight off the pathogens which cause illness.
Frankie Brogan, Senior Nutritionist at , said: "Regular exercise is a great way to support the immune system, and this may be due to various different mechanisms.
"As exercise can help support good circulation, this allows our immune cells to travel through the body more effectively.
"Furthermore, these immune cells seem to be stimulated by even mild exercise."
According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, people who exercise five or more days a week spend 46 per cent fewer days laid up with a cold or respiratory virus compared to those who work out only once a week or not at all.
Not only that, but fitter people also experience less severe symptoms when they do get a cold, and they recover more quickly.
What happens if you do too much?
Despite this, experts say there is a moment when a "healthy" level of exercise shifts into "too much" - and it can backfire on your health.
After a marathon, for example, a 1990 study showed 13 per cent of finishers developed an upper respiratory infection, compared to only two per cent for runners who trained for the marathon but didn’t run it.
This is because too much high-intensity exercise, or exercising again before we’ve sufficiently recovered, can trigger the body to release stress chemicals, like cortisol.
These chemicals can weaken the immune system, just like psychological stress.
How much should I being doing during the pandemic?
There currently isn’t any research linking the impact of exercise on Covid-19.
However, sports scientists Tamara Hew-Butler, Associate Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, and Professor Marian Fahlman at Wayne State University in Detroit, have reviewed the research on how exercise affects the immune response to the flu, to offer some practical tips on the ‘just right’ amount.
Writing for The Conversation, the scientists cite a large study looking at exercise frequency, in 24,656 Chinese adults, who died during the 1998 Hong Kong flu epidemic.
“This study showed that people who did no exercise at all or too much exercise – over five days of exercise per week – were at greatest risk of dying of flu (as opposed to other causes) compared with people who exercised moderately,” say the researchers.
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No one should exercise if they have flu-like or Covid-19 symptoms, however Prof Fahlman says if you’re already infected, but not yet showing symptoms, exercise might be helpful.
She said: “Since you’re in the incubation period, you want to strengthen your immune system as much as possible.
“Assuming the coronavirus acts like other viruses, moderate-intensity exercise is one way to do that. However, it is not a panacea and it does not operate in isolation. You also need to eat right, sleep well and handle stress.”
Based on their analysis of flu research, Hew-Butler and Prof Fahlman suggest 20-45 minutes of mild to moderate exercise up to three times a week.
For exercise to be considered moderate, you should be aiming for a perceived exertion of seven, on a scale of one to ten, and should still be able to talk, even if you are running.
Despite, the number of exercise sessions you can safely do will likely depend on how much exercise you are used to.
If you’re already a dedicated fitness fanatic you can probably do more and stay healthy. However, we should be striving to maintain (not gain) strength or fitness during this quarantine period.
You should 100 per cent avoid exercising to exhaustion, whether that’s through long exercise sessions, or through extremely high-intensity bursts
What does the government say?
On Monday, March 23, the UK went into lockdown, with the Government instructing that people were only to leave their homes to shop for essentials and for one form of exercise per day.
On Friday, March 27, there was a second announcement, including the clarification that runners and cyclists should only use open spaces close to their homes for exercise.
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More on coronavirus
The Government has not explicitly defined how long people should be exercising for during their one session a day.
However, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove gave an outline on the time people should be spending walking, cycling or running.
He said on Sunday 29 March: "I would have thought for most people a walk of up to an hour, a run of 30 minutes or a cycle ride of between that, depending on their level of fitness, is appropriate."