1 / 10Regular exercise reduces the chances of dying from infectious diseases such as COVID-19 by more than a third and makes people 31% less likely to catch the virus, a major study has found. 2 / 10The world's first study into the link between exercise and COVID-19 immunity suggested people need to be doing 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or 150 minutes a week of exercise that gets them at least slightly out of breath. 3 / 10Recommended activities include walking, running, cycling and strengthening exercises. Such physical activity can also make vaccines up to 40% more effective, an international team of researchers, led by Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), said.4 / 10The scientists concluded that the recommended amount of exercise can result in a '31% decrease in the risk of infectious disease such as COVID-19, a 37% decrease in the risk of death as a consequence of infectious disease such as COVID-19 and an increase in the efficacy of vaccination against viral disease such as COVID-19'. 5 / 10Project leader, GCU professor of health behaviour dynamics Sebastien Chastin, said they found that physical activity 'strengthens the first line of defence of the human immune system and a higher concentration of immune cells'. 6 / 10The 'hugely significant' research 'could help to cut the number people contracting COVID-19 and dying from it'. It is, he said, 'the first piece of research that proves regular physical activity protects you against infectious disease'.7 / 10He added: 'We found that regular exercise where you get out of breath boosts your immunity to infectious disease by 31% and it increases the number of immune cells in the body in the first line of defence which is the mucosal layer of antibodies. 8 / 10'The clear message is stay active - it's not only good for your mental and general health but we now have the proof that it is also good for boosting your immunity.'9 / 10 It has to be a regular commitment, he said, with the added benefit that 'if you add physical activity to your vaccination programme it increases the potency of the vaccination'. 10 / 10'We are recommending a 12-weeks physical activity programme before vaccination which could result in 20 to 40% more effective immunisation.'