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Could More Exercise at AFAC Gym Lead to Less Severe COVID-19 Outcomes?

Man disinfecting AFAC gym with hospital-grade disinfectant

The team at AFAC gym does everything possible to keep our gym sanitary and prevent the spread of illnesses like COVID-19. Several times per week, we fog the gym and ventilation system with hospital-grade disinfectant. We also provide sanitation stations throughout the gym where members can disinfect their hands and gym equipment before and after each exercise. AFAC gym also cleans and sanitizes all common areas multiple times a day.

In addition to hygiene, there are other ways to avoid the health risks of COVID such as vaccinations and booster shots.

And, on top of that, doctors believe regular exercise can decrease the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes like hospitalization and death. While that’s great news, healthcare professionals have never explained exactly how much exercise people need to reduce their risk.

Will a couple workouts a week be enough to lessen our chances of severe COVID? Or do we need daily workouts?

A new study gives us some answers on how different amounts of exercise can affect one’s COVID prognosis. Read on to learn more about what the study found and other benefits of regular workouts at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

The Link Between Gym Exercise and Preventing Severe COVID

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on December 14, 2022, looked at how different amounts of exercise affected the health outcomes of patients with COVID.

The research analyzed the health records of 194,191 adult patients at Kaiser Permanente in southern California. All of these patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 2020 and May 2021. The patients were asked to report their own level of exercise before being infected with COVID. Based on their response, patients were separated into five groups:

  • Always inactive — 10 minutes or less of exercise per week
  • Mostly inactive — 11-60 minutes of exercise per week
  • Some activity — 61-150 minutes of exercise per week
  • Consistently active – more than 150 minutes of exercise per week
  • Always active – 300 minutes of exercise per week

Then, researchers analyzed the data to determine how each patient’s exercise levels before their COVID infection affected their outcomes.

More Exercise = Lower Risk

Researchers in the study found that the more active patients were before being infected with COVID, the lower their risk of hospitalization or death within 90 days of their diagnosis.

Compared to the patients who were “always active,” here’s how the other groups fared:

  • Always inactive — 91% more likely to be hospitalized; 291% more likely to die
  • Mostly inactive — 72% more likely to be hospitalized; 188% more likely to die
  • Some activity — 43% more likely to be hospitalized; 92% more likely to die
  • Consistently active — 25% more likely to be hospitalized; 55% more likely to die

These findings were true across all demographic groups including sex, age, race, ethnicity, and whether or not participants had preexisting chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or obesity.

According to the study’s lead author, the takeaway is that every bit of physical activity counts when it comes to your COVID prognosis. The more exercise you get, the better, regardless of your other chronic conditions, age, race, ethnicity, or sex.

The link between more physical activity and lower chances of severe COVID is so strong that researchers said exercise should be stressed as one of the most important steps we can take to protect ourselves from COVID, along with getting vaccinated and boosted.

One thing to note is that this study was conducted before COVID-19 vaccines were widely available, so the study’s results don’t tell us how much protection vaccinated people receive from exercise.

The Many Other Benefits of Regular Exercise at the Gym

A better COVID outcome is one of many health benefits you can enjoy from regular workouts at the gym. Other reasons to put in some frequent cardiovascular and strength-training sweat sessions at the gym include:

AFAC Gym Is Committed to Your Wellbeing

In addition to our robust response to COVID-19, AFAC gym is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all our gym members. From our wide assortment of strength training and cardio equipment to our personal trainers who can provide you with a long list of benefits, AFAC gym is here to design an individualized program that will help you reach your fitness goals. That’s why we’re the best gym in Thornton, Colorado.

If you’re not a member of AFAC gym but would like more information, please stop by and speak to our team. For more information and assistance, you can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club.

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