Intersection of COVID-19, HIV and exercise: a commentary with home-based exercise recommendations for practice

ABSTRACT

The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has led to closures or reduced capacity of non-essential businesses and recreational areas and stay-at-home orders to promote social distancing. Although effective to reduce transmission, these policies may negatively impact exercise behaviors. Exercise is effective at mitigating the risk of developing or exacerbating several of underlining risk factors for a more severe COVID-19 disease course and may be particularly important for people with HIV (PWH). In this commentary, we discuss the intersection of COVID-19 and exercise with a specific focus on people living with HIV. We then provide a pragmatic, home-based exercise routine that can be performed with little to no equipment or supervision. It is important for PWH (and others) to start or maintain at least some level of exercise to reduce the risk of a severe COVID-19 disease course and to improve other health outcomes in this unfamiliar climate.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• HIV
• exercise
• physical activity

Acknowledgments

NSB's time was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH109205) and the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services (CHIPTS) at UCLA.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Institute of Mental Health [grant number T32MH109205].