We don't all have the time to look like the Rock or perform like a gymnast, but with a few minutes twice a week we can gain a few years back, look and feel great - and it need not cost the earth.

In 1948 the World Health Organization stated: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” 

There is as yet no cure for Covid 19 coronavirus. But being fitter and stronger builds up a resistance to physical disorders, making you more able to survive infection.

Research shows that an antioxidant enzyme we produce when exercising may stave off or lessen the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a condition that occurs when the lungs become so inflamed they get stiff and swollen, leading to fluid buildup and oxygen deprivation. ARDS is one of the complications that people with COVID-19 can develop, and it is associated with a higher death rate from the disease.

Zhen Yan, PhD, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville and the lead author of the paper, says that while "it’s important to point out that evidence has not yet included people with COVID-19 (because the disease is too new), the data has implications for people with it and those at risk."

It’s a potent enzyme, Yan says. And it’s unique because, so far, it is the only known antioxidant enzyme that naturally works in the fluid, noncellular part of blood known as plasma, and it breaks down toxic free radicals produced during disease processes. (Free radicals are harmful molecules our bodies produce. Usually, our own antioxidants are able to neutralize them before they do damage, but when our bodies are burdened with disease or illness, we’re less able to fight them off. We experience what's termed oxidative stress, leaving us more vulnerable to disease.)

Human coronaviruses were first identified in the mid-1960s, and there are currently seven that can infect people. They include 229E (alpha coronavirus), NL63 (alpha coronavirus), OC43 (beta coronavirus), HKU1 (beta coronavirus), MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, the latest coronavirus to be transmitted to humans.

It is very common for people around the world to be infected with 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1. These viruses usually cause a mild to moderate upper respiratory tract illness — basically, a common cold, according to the CDC.

These coronaviruses can also cause lower respiratory tract illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. People with cardiopulmonary disease or weaker immune systems, as well as infants and elderly people, are at higher risk.

Gyms in the USA were forced to shut down in March 2020 to try to curb the spread of Covid-19, crippling the fitness industry, which is a $32 billion market in the States, with more than 41,000 gyms and 64 million members. In some states, gyms were among the last businesses allowed to reopen.

For this reason, in the UK also, many fitness trainers are now offering online courses. It's an interesting concept!

It improves heart health
It aids memory

It lowers the risk of cancer

It improves your resistance to Covid 19