Editorial

Resumo

There is consistent and strong scientific evidence
about the numerous health benefits related to the
physical activity (PA). Regular PA can improve physical
fitness and health and assist in the prevention of various
diseases. In general, physically active adults are healthier
and present higher physical performance in comparison
with inactive adults worldwide. Among some desirable
behaviors, PA can be considered as part of a healthy lifestyle
and can be categorized into occupational, sports,
conditioning, household, or other activities involving
movement of the body generated by skeletal muscles
with energy expenditure. Aligned with that, it is undeniable
the relevance of the physical inactivity as a risk
factor for premature mortality and for cardiovascular
disease and a variety of other chronic diseases, including
diabetes mellitus, cancer (colon and breast), obesity,
hypertension, bone and joint diseases (osteoporosis and
osteoarthritis), and depression. Moreover, exercise in
patients with hematologic cancer, like leukemia, could
improve immune function.
Due to the relevance of the PA, it is important to stimulate
behaviors involving the physical practice. There are
several factors that can influence these behaviors, such
as: personal (biological, health and psychological attributes),
social (family, affiliation group, and work factors),
and environmental (contexts for different forms of PA
and policy factors that could determine availability of
relevant settings and opportunities).
The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-
-19) has interfered in different factors of the PA behaviors.
Depending of the severity of the COVID-19 in
an individual, there are limitations to performed PA.
Furthermore, aiming to contain the COVID-19 infections
and to reduce interaction between infected and
non-infected individuals, strategies and restrictive
policies have been suggested, such as quarantine, local
confinement, lockdown and isolation. It is clear that,
while the individuals are confined at home the level
of PA, in general, decreases, due to the reduction of (i)
daily activities outside, (ii) the participation in social
events and, (iii) sometimes, of laboral activities. This
may have a negative impact in general heath because
it can contribute to sedentary behaviors. Besides the
confinement, it is important to consider other actions
to protect against the COVID-19 infection that is the
universal use of masks.
In addition to those facts, as an environmental factor,
in confinement, the sunlight exposure is reduced.
The relevance of the ultraviolet B radiation present in
sunlight to the active production of vitamin D in the
organisms is well known. This vitamin has a relevant
role to metabolic responses and protection against
diseases, including cancer. Vitamin D deficiency has
been recognized as an undesirable global public health
problem and it plays a wide role in health and in the
prevention of several diseases, including the COVID-19.
As the reduction of the muscle strength is observed
in the individuals that had COVID-19, PA or exercises
could be important for their rehabilitation. There are
different modalities of exercises that could be also used
for them, including the whole-body vibration exercises
to improve the muscular performance.
Putting together, people in the world is living, or is
trying to live, in conditions to maintain a minimal, but
convenient level of PA to have health to contercouse
the bad situation of the COVID-19 up to a definitive
and confident vaccin be available to the human beings.
The researchers are working hard to aid the world
population to win this fight against the COVID-19 and
the sedentary behaviors.
Naturally, COVID-19 and the sedentarism are problems
for the world, but the continuous education about
the importance of PA, the studies about the effects of
medications that can be used in the treatments of diseases,
the control of use of drugs, as the pesticides, and
the discussion about the biological and legal aspects of
reprocessing of medical-hospital material are welcome
to contribute to improve the health.