REGULAR physical activity cuts the risk of dying from infectious diseases such as Covid-19 by 37% and reduces the chance of catching the virus by 31%, according to new global research.

The research carried out by an international team of researchers, led by Glasgow Caledonian University’s professor of health behaviour dynamics Sebastien Chastin, also found that physical activity can boost the effectiveness of vaccines by up to 40%.

GCU conducted the full-scale systematic review of 16,698 worldwide epidemiological studies published between January 1980 and April last year with world-renowned immunologists and epidemiologists from University College London and Ghent University in Belgium, exercise and sports scientists from Cadiz University in Spain and a public health consultant from NHS Lanarkshire.

The research found that 30-minutes of activity five days a week or 150-minutes per week that gets you slightly out of breath such as walking, running, cycling and strengthening exercises can have a massive impact on immunity to infectious diseases such as Covid-19.

Scientists concluded that it can result in a “31% decrease in the risk of infectious disease such as Covid-19, a 37% decrease in the risk of death as a consequence of infectious disease such as Covid-19 and an increase in the efficacy of vaccination against viral disease such as Covid-19”.

Chastin said they found that physical activity “strengthens the first line of defence of the human immune system and a higher concentration of immune cells” in the world’s first study into the link between exercise and Covid-19 immunity.

The findings have already gone to the Scottish Government and other governments around the world as well as public health experts and healthcare professionals.

Chastin added: “This research is hugely significant and could help to cut the number people contracting Covid-19 and dying from it.

“It is the first piece of research that proves regular physical activity protects you against infectious disease.

“Campaigns to inform the public of the benefit of physical activity in fighting the pandemic should be undertaken.”