HAWTHORNE, Calif. — During this holiday season, Ernesto Giles is hoping to maintain his health by getting the bivalent booster.

“Anything to prevent getting sick. It’s just a scary thing, still,” Giles said.

In California, bivalent booster vaccinations remain low. Only about 18% of Californians were reported to have received the COVID-19 vaccination, according to the latest statewide vaccination data. Before getting his own booster, Giles helped his dad get his. Now, he’s hoping to see more people take part.

“We have a tool — beyond the masks, sanitizing, washing our hands and social distancing — that’s free for us to use,” said Giles.

A recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found those who were vaccinated and engaged in high to moderate exercise like a brisk walk regularly were about 2.5 times less likely to be hospitalized, compared to those who were only vaccinated. Dr. Robert Sallis, a family and sports medicine doctor with Kaiser Permanente, was a reviewer of the study. He said it’s an option more people should consider — especially as hospitals are overloaded with flu, COVID and RSV patients.

“We’ve seen the same thing with the flu virus and with the RSV virus,” said Sallis. “We know that those who exercise are less likely to get really sick from it. I think this needs to be a real persistent message to protect yourself.”

Dr. Sallis recommends going on a brisk walk — where you exert enough energy to be able to talk but not sing — for about 30 minutes each day or for a little more than two hours each week to boost your health. Giles said it’s an option he’ll make more of an effort to do.

“Anything to help the immune system fight this virus that’s still around, I’ll take it,” said Giles. “I mean, that’s just an easy thing to do.”