1. MOVE MORE and SIT LESS throughout the day.
The state has officially clarified the status of outdoor fitness as “essential” under the new regional stay at home order.
Why?
Regular physical activity and/or exercise is important in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. In 2007, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Medical Association (AMA) co-launched Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) – a United States-based health initiative that has since been coordinated by ACSM (1)
This initiative required that exercise/physical activity should be a standard part of disease prevention and medical treatment.
Overall, the ACSM considers the following five points (2):
· All individuals should engage in at least 20–60 minutes of aerobic physical activity of at least a moderate intensity on at least 5 days per week.
· Additional health and fitness benefits can be achieved by adding more time in moderate-intensity activity or by substituting more vigorous activity.
· Previously inactive men and women and people at risk for heart, metabolic (diabetes), and renal diseases should first consult a health care provider before initiating a program of vigorous physical activity to which they are unaccustomed.
· Persons with symptomatic heart, diabetes, or renal disease who would like to increase their physical activity should be evaluated by a health care provider and provided an exercise program appropriate for their clinical status.
· Muscular strength–developing activities (resistance training) should be performed at a minimum of two times per week. Also, flexibility and neuromotor exercises should be included in a prudent overall program.
Pilates improves cardiorespiratory fitness or aerobic capacity (3), balance (4), flexibility (5) and strength (6).
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2- Eat a HEALTHY DIET
Eating a well‐balanced, healthy diet and staying away from processed junk food is very important to maintain overall health, as well as to support immune functions.
Certain dietary patterns may better prepare the body for microbial attacks and excess inflammation, but it is unlikely that individual foods offer special protection. Each stage of the body’s immune response relies on the presence of many micronutrients (7),
Many studies have pointed out that not only pre- and probiotics, but also single micronutrients incorporated into functional foods contribute to an enhancement of immunocompetence (8).
Examples of nutrients that have been identified as critical for the growth and function of immune cells include vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, iron, and protein (including the amino acid glutamine). They are found in a variety of plant and animal foods (7)
Probiotic foods contain live helpful bacteria, and prebiotic foods contain fiber and oligosaccharides that feed and maintain healthy colonies of those bacteria.
· Probiotic foods: Kefir, yogurt with live active cultures, fermented vegetables, sauerkraut, tempeh, kombucha tea, kimchi, and miso.
· Prebiotic foods: Garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, dandelion greens, bananas, and seaweed. However, a more general rule is to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains for dietary prebiotics (7)
“Staying hydrated also enables to transmit nutrients to all parts of the body and helps to maintain all body functions and organs working potentially to decrease body infection.
Foods that contain Zinc include red meat and shellfish.
A very vital mineral for our immune system, magnesium, is also an important electrolyte that helps our body strengthen our immune system's natural killer cells and lymphocytes.
Foods rich in magnesium are dark chocolate, black beans, avocados, and whole grains.
Fruits like oranges, papaya, kiwi, and guava are rich in vitamin C and should be included in diet. Moreover, some vegetables like eggplant, bell peppers, beetroots, spinach, and cauliflower are known to be quite rich in vitamin C and are good for immunity. Green vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, and even kale are a few immunity boosters that one can include in the diet.
Elderly people should consume Spirulina and Curcumin, as they are extremely rich in vitamin C and minerals. These super foods help in building and strengthening immunity at great level.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that can protect you from various infections, bacteria, and viruses. Soaked almonds, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, and even hazelnuts should be consumed to get the daily dose of vitamin E.
Some of the immunity‐boosting herbs are garlic, black cumin, and liquorice.
Quercetin is a bioflavonoid found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Major sources are leafy green vegetables, dill, peppers, apples, grapes, fennel leaf, red onion, oregano, chili pepper, green tea, and black tea.” (8)
Remember that vitamin supplements should not be considered a substitute for a good diet because no supplements contain all the benefits of healthful foods.
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References:
1. ACSM, What is exercise is medicine, https://www.exerciseismedicine.org/support_page.php/about-eim/, accessed 12/26/2020
2. ACSM, Exercise Test and Prescripton,
https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/publications-files/acsms-exercise-testing-prescription.pdf?sfvrsn=111e9306_4, access 12/26/2020
3. Fernández-Rodríguez, R., Álvarez-Bueno, C., Ferri-Morales, A., Torres-Costoso, A. I., Cavero-Redondo, I., & Martínez-Vizcaíno, V. (2019). Pilates Method Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of clinical medicine, 8(11), 1761. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8111761
4. Eric G. Johnson, Andrea Larsen, Hiromi Ozawa, Christine A. Wilson, Karen L. Kennedy,
The effects of Pilates-based exercise on dynamic balance in healthy adults,
Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies,Volume 11, Issue 3,2007,Pages 238-242,ISSN 1360-8592,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2006.08.008.
5. Kloubec J. A. (2010). Pilates for improvement of muscle endurance, flexibility, balance, and posture. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(3), 661–667. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c277a6
6. Ana Cruz-Ferreira, Jorge Fernandes, Luis Laranjo, Lisa M. Bernardo, António Silva, A Systematic Review of the Effects of Pilates Method of Exercise in Healthy People, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Volume 92, Issue 12,2011, Pages 2071-2081, ISSN 0003-9993.
7. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-and-immunity/#:~:text=Examples of nutrients that have,of plant and animal foods.
8. López-Varela, S., González-Gross, M. & Marcos, A. Functional foods and the immune system: a review. Eur J Clin Nutr 56, S29–S33 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601481
9. Arshad, MS, Khan, U, Sadiq, A, et al. Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) and immunity booster green foods: A mini review. Food Sci Nutr. 2020; 8: 3971– 3976. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1719