Exercise and Living with HIV/AIDS

By Dirk Smith, MSc, SDL (He/Him). 

It’s no doubt that HIV/AIDS has had a huge impact on the LGBTI community; it has affected many people within our community. Today over 36.7 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and there have been many advancements in educational, prevention and treatment services offered that have turned the disease from a death sentence to on the verge of a cure.
 
Living a healthy lifestyle and exercising regularly can have many benefits for people who live with HIV/AIDS. Greg Louganis for example was diagnosed with HIV shortly before the 1988 Olympics, he stated in his book that he was afraid he would be too sick to compete and almost called it quits. However the fact that he was training regularly and staying consistent with a healthy diet not only helped to keep the virus at bay but to keep his immune system strong, To the point he was able to fight off other infections such as the flu a lot quicker than his HIV negative teammates. (Louganis. G Breaking the Surface 1996).

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