“New Study Shows Regular Exercise Can Cut Risk of Death from Influenza and Pneumonia in Half”

2023-05-17 14:29:04

Exercise reduces the risk of death from influenza and pneumonia

A new study confirmed that practicing some physical activities can help prevent the risk of death due to influenza and pneumonia.

According to the American “CNN” network, the study stated that adherence to regular aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening exercises reduces the risk of death from influenza and pneumonia by 48 percent.

Experts and health organizations recommend that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity and two or more days of moderate muscle-strengthening activities per week.

The new study, published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at the results of opinion polls, in which more than 570,000 people participated, as part of a large health survey conducted in the United States between 1998 and 2018. The people were asked about their physical activity habits and were put into groups based on how well they met the recommended amount of exercise, according to the study.

The researchers looked at the participants’ health data for the first nine years of the study, and identified 1,516 deaths from influenza or pneumonia.

The team found that those participants who met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening recommendations had their risk of dying from influenza or pneumonia cut in half, while those who only did aerobic exercise dropped by 36 percent.

“Both influenza and pneumonia are among the leading causes of death in the United States and around the world, so these findings are particularly important,” said lead author Dr. Bryant Weber, an epidemiologist in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. ».

He added, “We stress the importance of receiving influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations, but our study also indicates that regular physical activity may be another powerful tool to protect against these diseases and reduce the risk of death from them.”

People exercising in a gym in the United States (AP)

But even if people cannot do these exercises to the extent recommended by health organizations, That is, at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise, and two or more days of muscle-strengthening exercises per week. Doing these activities for short periods of time can still provide more protection than not doing them at all, according to the study.

The study showed that practicing aerobic physical activity for a period of 10 to 149 minutes per week was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of contracting influenza and pneumonia.

However, no additional benefit was shown for people who did more than 600 minutes of aerobic exercise per week.

The study showed that in the case of strengthening exercises, overdoing them may be counterproductive, and that doing them over 7 or more sessions per week was associated with a 41 percent increased risk of dying from influenza or pneumonia.

The study said that aerobic activity, or “cardio,” as it is often called, is that which stimulates the heart rate and sweat glands, including brisk walking, swimming, cycling, running, or climbing stairs.

Muscle-strengthening exercises include weight lifting, squats, or push-ups.