The Science
“If physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and help treat.”
-H. Gibson‐Moore, United Kingdom Chief Medical Officer
Physical Activity is Medicine for Older Adults
Author: Denise Taylor
Social isolation, loneliness and physical performance in older‐adults: fxed efects analyses of a cohort study
Authors: Keir E. J. Philip, Michael I. Polkey, Nicholas S. Hopkinson, Andrew Steptoe & Daisy Fancourt
Physical Activity, Aging, and Physiological Function
Authors: Stephen D.R. Harridge, Norman R. Lazarus
Leisure Time Physical Activity and MortalityA Detailed Pooled Analysis of the Dose-Response Relationship
Hannah Arem, Steven C. Moore, Alpa Patel, et al.
Abstract
Regular physical activity has consistently been associated with a reduced risk of mortality.1-3 However, the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans4 were the first recommendations published by the federal government to describe types and amounts of physical activity that offer health benefits. The 2008 guidelines recommended 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity weekly for substantial health benefits.
In general, your risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19 increases as you get older. In fact, 8 out of 10 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the United States have been among adults aged 65 years and older.
-Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
Physical Activity During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Prevention of a Decline in Metabolic and Immunological Functions
Authors: Johan Jakobsson1, Christer Malm1 , Maria Furberg, Ulf Ekelund, and Michael Svensson
Physical inactivity and cardiovascular disease at the time of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Authors: Giuseppe Lippi, Brandon M Henry and Fabian Sanchis-Gomar
Exercise Is Medicine: Staying Active during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Steven Elmer, Isaac Wedig
Recommendations for Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behavior During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic
Authors: Fabrizio Ricci Pascal Izzicupo, Federica Moscucci, Susanna Sciomer, Silvia Maffei, Angela Di Baldassarre, Anna Vittoria Mattioli and Sabina Gallina
Figure 1. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep recommendations, and tips for COVID-19 quarantine period. Blue, adults; gray, older people; orange, preschooler; yellow, school-aged children and adolescents; Bold, international guidelines and recommendations; Italic, tips for quarantine period; PA, physical activity; SB, sedentary behavior; LPA, light-intensity physical activity; MPA, moderate-intensity physical activity; VPA, vigorous-intensity physical activity; MVPA, moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity. In the central portion of the figure we reported recommended hours of sleep by age group. *Perform strengthening activities in non-consecutive days. +, ++, +++: relative importance of PA/exercise type for each age category. Dumbbell: muscle and bone strengthening activities; running: aerobic activities; monopodalic standing: balance exercise; bending: flexibility.
How to Protect Yourself & Others
Author: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
As you get older, your risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19 increases. Everyone, especially older adults and others at increased risk of severe illness, should take steps to protect themselves from getting COVID-19.