Physical exercise is now considered to be not only a preventive strategy, but also an effective treatment for many chronic conditions. Evidence from observational and intervention studies demonstrates that sustained periods or physical inactivity, participation in regular exercise, or higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness modify the risk of cardiorespiratory, metabolic and mental disorders. This has been particularly evident during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
SARS-CoV-2 had the effect of revealing that individuals with co-morbid conditions, who were comparatively sedentary, poorly fit, or some combination of these, had a significantly greater risk of adverse outcomes. The fact that most western societies are relatively sedentary exacerbated the impact of COVID-19. However, the pandemic provided an opportunity to raise awareness regarding the importance of physical activity on health outcomes related to a wide spectrum of chronic conditions.
Exercise interventions are well known to lead to numerous benefits including increases in cardiorespiratory fitness, physical function, and quality of life, and decreases in anxiety, depression and other disease-specific symptoms. There is also increasing evidence across many chronic conditions that exercise interventions lead to reductions in the incidence of hospitalisations and mortality. The exact mechanisms by which exercise may exert such effects on clinical outcomes in those with chronic conditions remains unclear but it is hypothesized that these mechanisms may include immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of exercise.
This Research Topic focuses on original studies or evidence syntheses (e.g. systematic reviews, meta-analysis) that investigate the impact of physical activity patterns and cardiorespiratory fitness on respiratory infections, particularly as they relate to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Areas of interest include, but not limited to:
• impact of healthy living on pandemic preparedness
• COVID-19 pandemic and physical activity
• cardiorespiratory fitness and health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic
• cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation during COVID-19
• functional impairment with Long COVID or Post-COVID
• physical activity in the management of Long COVID or Post-COVID symptoms
• return to exercise post-COVID-19 infection
• obesity and outcomes in COVID-19
• effects of exercise on the cardiovascular, metabolic and immune system in the context of COVID-19
• sedentarism due to COVID-19: impact on neuromuscular, cardiovascular and metabolic health
• physical activity and protection against respiratory infections
• physical activity interventions in the treatment and outcomes of respiratory infection
• cardiorespiratory fitness and incidence, duration or severity of respiratory infections
Physical exercise is now considered to be not only a preventive strategy, but also an effective treatment for many chronic conditions. Evidence from observational and intervention studies demonstrates that sustained periods or physical inactivity, participation in regular exercise, or higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness modify the risk of cardiorespiratory, metabolic and mental disorders. This has been particularly evident during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
SARS-CoV-2 had the effect of revealing that individuals with co-morbid conditions, who were comparatively sedentary, poorly fit, or some combination of these, had a significantly greater risk of adverse outcomes. The fact that most western societies are relatively sedentary exacerbated the impact of COVID-19. However, the pandemic provided an opportunity to raise awareness regarding the importance of physical activity on health outcomes related to a wide spectrum of chronic conditions.
Exercise interventions are well known to lead to numerous benefits including increases in cardiorespiratory fitness, physical function, and quality of life, and decreases in anxiety, depression and other disease-specific symptoms. There is also increasing evidence across many chronic conditions that exercise interventions lead to reductions in the incidence of hospitalisations and mortality. The exact mechanisms by which exercise may exert such effects on clinical outcomes in those with chronic conditions remains unclear but it is hypothesized that these mechanisms may include immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of exercise.
This Research Topic focuses on original studies or evidence syntheses (e.g. systematic reviews, meta-analysis) that investigate the impact of physical activity patterns and cardiorespiratory fitness on respiratory infections, particularly as they relate to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Areas of interest include, but not limited to:
• impact of healthy living on pandemic preparedness
• COVID-19 pandemic and physical activity
• cardiorespiratory fitness and health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic
• cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation during COVID-19
• functional impairment with Long COVID or Post-COVID
• physical activity in the management of Long COVID or Post-COVID symptoms
• return to exercise post-COVID-19 infection
• obesity and outcomes in COVID-19
• effects of exercise on the cardiovascular, metabolic and immune system in the context of COVID-19
• sedentarism due to COVID-19: impact on neuromuscular, cardiovascular and metabolic health
• physical activity and protection against respiratory infections
• physical activity interventions in the treatment and outcomes of respiratory infection
• cardiorespiratory fitness and incidence, duration or severity of respiratory infections
