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Coronavirus warning: Doing too much exercise could increase COVID-19 risk warns expert

Coronavirus marks a devastating chapter in our nation’s recent history, with the current number of hospitalised deaths sitting at 16,509. One of the most important lessons to be drawn from this dark period is the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. A recent study conducted by scientists at Edinburgh, Liverpool and Imperial College London Universities have found obesity to be the second biggest risk factor for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19.

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Under the current lockdown measures, UK citizens are permitted to leave the house to do one form of exercise a day.

In light of the study’s findings, it is vitally important to make the most of the daily exercise allowance to keep weight in check, thereby reducing the threat posed by COVID-19.

The importance of exercise cannot be overstated right now but according to Dr Matthew Jackson, a lecturer in Sport and Health Science at Liverpool Hope University, the public should also exercise with caution.

That’s because, conversely, overdoing it could increase your risk of developing severe symptoms of COVID-19.

As Dr Jackson explained, physical activity provides a major boost to the immune system, supercharging the body’s natural defence against viruses and infections.

However, overdoing it places stress on the body that may hamper the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to invasive pathogens.

He explained: “We don’t want to tell people not to exercise during this crisis – it’s really important that you do.

“But if you’re finding yourself doing more of it because you’ve got more time on your hands, you just need to be mindful about not doing too much.

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Dr Jackson continued: “For the majority of people, doing regular exercise is actually a really good way to improve immune function, providing a defence against viruses.

“But you do need to be careful that you don’t go into that overtraining category where you might compromise your immunity.”

What does he recommend?

“In the current climate of Coronavirus, you shouldn’t really be going over an hour’s exercise per session,” said Dr Jackson.

It is important to stay active to maintain your fitness but don’t risk going beyond that and compromising your immune system – at the same time as potentially coming into contact with more people who may be carrying the virus, he advised.

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In addition to weakening your immune system, you could also injure yourself, he warned.

“The most common sorts of injuries you might pick up are muscular stains, joint issues and tendonitis – which is a painful inflammation of a tendon usually triggered by overuse,” he said.

People pick up tendonitis quite regularly when they’ve increased their training so it is important to think carefully about frequency, intensity, time spent and type of exercise, he advised.

What training approach does he advise?

“If you’re starting a new regime, you might want to do an extra session one week, but don’t make that session harder as well,” he said.

He continued: “You might want to have the same amount of sessions per week, but on one of those sessions you could go a little bit harder.

“And remember that 80-90 per cent of the exercise you’re doing should be moderate, as opposed to high intensity.”

According to the NHS, adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.

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