Published online Oct 28, 2020. doi: 10.5495/wjcid.v10.i4.47
Peer-review started: May 23, 2020
First decision: August 23, 2020
Revised: September 7, 2020
Accepted: October 5, 2020
Article in press: October 5, 2020
Published online: October 28, 2020
Infection and mortality rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are astonishing. As of September 7, 2020, more than 27 million people around the world have already been infected, with more than 890 thousand deaths. Hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are among the most reported comorbidities associated with mortality by this disease. All these comorbidities are also strongly associated with physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. On the other hand, it is known that aerobic and resistive exercises are excellent tools to prevent and manage these comorbidities. Hence, physically active people may have a better prognosis if infected by COVID-19. Also, science tried to warn about mortality and morbidity associated to physical inactivity more than 80 years ago. However, physical inactivity habits are getting more prevalent around the world. Reasons for that include social, technology, and economic development that led to large industrialization and urbanization. Along with these changes, both professional and domestic activities became less active. Consequently, health care costs related to hypokinesis are estimated to increase exponentially in various regions of the planet. Now, while facing COVID-19 pandemic, it is time to reinforce the physiological, social, and economic relevance of regular physical exercise. Therefore, urgent reappraisal of our physical inactivity habits should be done, again!
Core Tip: Millions of people have been infected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after its outbreak in December 2019 in China, and thousands of them have died around the world. These astonishing happenings forced the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic. Of note, older people and those with comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes are at higher risk. Regular exercise is an excellent tool to manage all those comorbidities as well as to boost human immune system, preparing people to fight infections. However, people are getting more sedentary in the last decades! During COVID-19 pandemic, we must reappraise our inactivity habits to improve health and to minimize costs to public health systems.