The Importance of Physical Activity in Combating Covid-19

In the fight against Covid-19, physical activity is the most important task that strengthens our immunity.

The new coronavirus infection targets the immune system of the person and causes significant damage to the body from mild infection to advanced and fatal infection. The most important step in treatment is to know and apply the ways of preventing infection. In this process, it is very important to strengthen our immune system by maintaining our physical activity level and following a healthy nutrition plan. Changing our lifestyle with the motto "Stay active while maintaining social distance" is the first step.

In this period when we are forced to live with the coronavirus, it is important for children and young people to avoid team sports that are very intense. Exercising intensely suppresses the immune system, causes microorganisms to enter the body easily and also increases the susceptibility to infections. Coronavirus infection in athletes can cause serious health problems and create permanent respiratory issues. For this reason, it is very important to avoid exercise in the form of severe loads during training and to intake protein rich and fibrous food, increasing fluid consumption and adequate rest after exercise, to strengthen immunity.

It is possible to strengthen the immune system by choosing moderate and stress free exercises for middle aged and elderly. Our recommendation is walking for 150 minutes a week, jogging, 30 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises three days a week, and thirty minutes of flexibility exercises 3 days a week. During exercises, proper breathing while controlling the diaphragm increases lung capacity, while also supporting the strengthening of the waist, back and abdominal muscles. Thus, we can also prevent chronic muscle spasms due to improper posture this way.

Daily in-home activities such as climbing up and down stairs and garden work, fun activities like dancing, regular exercises that increase our flexibility, strength, endurance and balance such as yoga and thai chi will also help reduce the psychological stress caused by the coronavirus infection.

Due to the negative impact of the pandemic on business life, many businesses have switched to remote working. In this process, working in front of the computer for long hours at home with wrong postures started to cause physical issues in people of all ages. Sudden stiffness in the neck, back and waist muscles, spasms and pain complaints, cramps in the legs, pain in wrists and elbows, and nerve compression have started to increase as musculoskeletal complaints.

The most important step in preventing these problems is to be more active while realizing the disorders caused by wrong posture and sitting. It is possible to improve our posture while activating our body at frequent intervals, standing up every 45 minutes, completing regular flexibility exercises for 5-10 minutes and doing these, we will be able to prevent muscle spasms and pain.

Stay active, stay strong, stay healthy.