Study Links Less Exercise to More Infections

Children who don't get enough physical activity are more prone to respiratory infections, including coronaviruses

Emotional and physical isolation has taken a toll on children in the era of COVID. Sondem/Shutterstock

There’s a significant connection between increased physical activity in children and decreased upper respiratory tract infections. In other words, the more active children are, the less likely they are to get sick.

This observation is based on clinical research done by a team of Polish scientists. Their study, “Association of Low Physical Activity With Higher Respiratory Tract Infections Frequency Among Pre-School Children,” was published in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatric Research in January 2023.

The More Active, the Better

The researchers designed the study to examine two groups of children, all between the ages of 4 and 7 years old.