Medical Student Research Forum Posters

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented global “lockdown,” which has confined millions to mandatory isolation or self-quarantining in an effort to limit virus transmission. This has led to major socioeconomic disruptions, including travel restrictions and the closure of schools and businesses. Quarantine measures and the closure of gymnasiums, public pools, and exercise facilities have disrupted the exercise/physical activity (EPA) routines of millions of people. Primary care physicians (PCPs) serve as frontline health workers as patients continue to visit them for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 healthcare needs. Because regular EPA has proven health benefits, it is essential that PCPs are prepared to adequately counsel and offer EPA recommendations to their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that adults aged 18-64 should perform at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes/week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. EPA has been shown to have wide-ranging positive effects on physical and mental health. Regular EPA is associated with decreased rates of major chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Regular EPA also has been shown to have favorable effects on immune function and mental health. More recently, it also has been suggested that regular EPA can reduce the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a leading cause of mortality in COVID-19 patients. Given the many potential health benefits of regular EPA, PCPs should counsel their patients about regular EPA and recommend it to them during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fluid nature of the evolving COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in unique quarantine and social distancing guidelines in different countries, states, and locales. In consideration of the EPA recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine and the WHO, and in consideration of the ongoing need for some albeit varying quarantine and social distancing guidelines, we propose PCPs offer their patients the following EPA counseling and recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.