MOVING
well
Diabetes WA educator MARIAN BRENNAN explains why exercise can not only make us feel better – but can also help us ward off viruses such as COVID. Many in our diabetes community are worried about contracting COVID, given reports from overseas suggesting they are more likely to experience severe illness. Others have been concerned about how the illness might interfere with their already complex diabetes management. When we feel much is out of our control, it is important to focus on things that we can do to reduce our risk. One small but significant step is to increase our levels of physical activity. Physical activity has many wonderful benefits. We know exercise can reduce 20
our risk of developing heart attack, stroke, some cancers and the longterm effects of diabetes. It can improve bone and muscle health, mental well-being, and maintain and improve blood glucose levels. But did you know physical activity can also improve our immunity? Researchers have been looking into the effect of physical activity on our immune system since the early 1990s, but there has been a surge in research over the past decade. We now know that engaging in regular physical activity is associated with a 31% lower risk of contracting infectious diseases, including COVID. Although having diabetes doesn’t mean you’re more likely to get COVID, it does mean you’re at greater risk of
experiencing more severe symptoms. The good news is regular physical activity is also linked with a 37% lower risk of severe symptoms and COVIDrelated deaths.
Why does exercise lower the risk of severe COVID? Well, we know that physical activity stimulates immune cells in the blood and tissues which enhances our immune response. Physical activity also reduces inflammation in our blood vessels which can decrease your risk of severe COVID symptoms (as well as diabetes-related complications). As we get older, our immune system becomes less robust. Incredibly, physical activity slows down these effects of ageing, meaning we can have a stronger immune system for longer!
