Study finds that the amount of exercise may affect the risk of influenza and pneumonia

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It’s time to add being active to your list of reasons to work out. It may prevent the risk of death from flu and pneumonia, according to new research.

According to one report, meeting physical activity guidelines for aerobic and strength-building activities reduces the risk of death from flu and pneumonia by 48%. The study was published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and moderate-intensity strength-strengthening activity two or more days per week. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The study is based on survey data of more than 570,000 people from the US National Health Interview Survey from 1998 to 2018. People were queried about their physical activity habits and divided into groups based on how well they met the recommended amount of exercise. , according to research.

On average, respondents were monitored for nine years after the initial survey. At that time, 1,516 people died from influenza and pneumonia.

The study found that meeting both aerobic and strength-building recommendations almost halved the risk of death from flu and pneumonia, while meeting only aerobic exercise goals reduced risk by 36%. It says.

The results are important because influenza and pneumonia are both leading causes of death in the United States and around the world, said lead study author Bryant Weber, M.D., an epidemiologist in the Division of Nutrition and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. said. activity and obesity.

“Readers may understand the importance of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination. This study suggests that physical activity may be another powerful tool for protecting against death from influenza and pneumonia.” It might encourage them to have sex,” he said.

Dr. Robert Salis, director of sports medicine fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Fontana, said the results make sense given existing knowledge, and that the benefits may extend to other conditions. Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson Medical College Medical Center and Clinical Professor of Family Medicine in California. He was not involved in the research.

“This study is also consistent with a range of studies showing that: Regular exercise dramatically reduced risk In a similar fashion, we have reduced the number of COVID-19 related deaths,” Salis said in an email.

But even if you don’t reach the recommended amount, some activity is more protective than doing nothing, research says.

“We also found that any level of aerobic physical activity, even below recommended levels, was associated with a lower risk of death from flu and pneumonia compared with no aerobic activity. said Weber.

get 10 A study showed that 149 minutes of aerobic exercise a week reduced the risk of death from flu and pneumonia by 21%.

“Our overarching advice for everyone, regardless of age or fitness level, is ‘move more and sit less,'” Webber said in an email. “For readers who are not physically active at all, encourage them to do something better than nothing.”

That said, the study showed that those who did more than 600 minutes of aerobic exercise per week had no further benefit.

And in the case of muscle strengthening, studies have shown that it is overkill.

Achieving the goal of 2 or more sessions significantly reduced the risk of death, but the study showed that receiving 7 or more sessions increased the risk of death from influenza or pneumonia by 41%.

But this is an observational study, which means the study can’t make claims about what causes or prevents death, or what factors are associated with the level of risk, the researchers said. pointed out.

The increased risk may be related to a variety of factors, the study said, including cardiovascular effects from frequent strength-building activities and inaccurate survey responses.

Even with design limitations, researchers often turn to such studies when randomizing people to different lifestyles is not possible, Salis said.

Aerobic exercise (also called aerobic exercise) doesn’t have to mean regular gym visits, the study says. This type of movement includes brisk walking, swimming, bicycling, running, climbing stairs, or anything that gets your heart rate and sweat glands active.

Exercises such as weightlifting, squats, lunges, and even heavy-duty gardening could count as strength-building activities, the study added.

Mega study announced in December 2021 The best exercise programs were shown to include planning, receiving reminders, providing incentives when exercising, and not missing multiple scheduled exercises in a row.

“If people want to increase their physical activity or change their health behavior, there are very low-cost behavioral insights that can be incorporated into programs that help them achieve greater success,” he said. Katie Milkman, lead author of the study, said.Dinan Professor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Author “How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be”

“You can start small,” says Dana Santas, a CNN fitness contributor and mind-body coach to professional athletes. CNN article for 2022.

“Practicing 10 minutes of exercise every day is a lot easier than people think. Let’s see how fast it goes,” Santas said in an email. “It’s not a big investment of time, but it can provide big health benefits.”