Will this be a winning weapon against COVID19?

These days I heard the term protean for the first time and it intrigued me very much, so much so that I was looking for its meaning and using it as a starting point for reflection and a resolution for 2021.

Protean: Able to suddenly assume or reveal very different aspects or attitudes, to adapt, to integrate with the environment and the reality in which it finds itself.

Having found its meaning, I wondered if developing this capacity in 2021 can be a contribution, if implemented personally, as a response to the global health crisis we are experiencing.

Physical activity as a defense against the Coronavirus

Considering that; the world we live in is in continuous and ever faster change, that our enemy to be defeated at this moment, the ferocious and sneaky Coronavirus , is changeable, can we say that, today more than ever, being protean is a good feature? 

The resilience that has been one of the most sought-after features for years has now had its day, it is no longer enough to fall and get up again quickly re-proposing the same shape.

Now at every fall it is useful to be able to analyze, before getting up, the reason for the fall, to understand in what context it occurred, what skills to implement in order to change one’s behavior to prevent it from happening again, each fall corresponds to an improved adaptation .

Mens sana in corpore sano

The global crisis we are experiencing, has made it clear for the first time, in a rather clear and unequivocal that that healthy mind in a healthy body is not only important for each of us individually, but you can directly reflect on ‘global balance is not only health but also economic and social .

He threw him in the face in an unequivocal and equal way for everyone, taking away our freedom of movement , the possibility of having social relations and satisfying our pleasures.

The discomfort that we are all experiencing, without geographical, economic or social distinctions, for such a prolonged time, acts as a very powerful lever of pain that forces us to truly reflect on what behaviors must be adopted, immediately, to reduce the possibility of finding ourselves again in the same condition.

The thing to think about is the fact that we are all paying a very high price, in terms of personal freedom , to defend the weakest categories, the elderly and the immunosuppressed. 

We are forced to give up living to ease the pressure on the health system which, unprepared for a similar emergency, is unable to provide assistance to everyone, and which has had to divert resources from other categories of sick people, who have certainly not disappeared in the meantime. 

We all know that, especially in Italy where health care is guaranteed, public health has a very high cost in the economic balance of the country and a cascade for the tax burden of people and productive activities. 

But if until now we have thought that helping to develop the economy would be enough, the situation we are experiencing tells us that it is not enough, even the richest and most socially developed countries are suffering the same crisis. 

Contribution to the new world

So what can we do personally, what are we willing to put in place today to contribute to a better world , already from 2021, to be left to our children, which decreases the risk of finding ourselves tomorrow in another crisis like this. 

A new concept of ecology is born that combines respect for the environment and nature, respect for ourselves, for our body, because we have learned that being fit and having a reactive immune system allows us to respond better to the attack of a disease, whatever it is.

Now more than ever we are all soldiers of the same army , we are all fighting the same battle, any unprepared subject can put the whole species at risk. 

Correct lifestyle

A correct and healthy lifestyle is the answer that we can all give immediately, at no additional cost and in no time. 

Going out for physical activity , exposing yourself to sunlight, getting up from your desk or sofa, and walking even just for half an hour a day gives immediate results , it makes the difference that we can appreciate already after 7 days. 

Better still if in addition to physical activity, you decide to change your incorrect habits , perhaps by quitting smoking, reducing alcohol and sugars, adopting a healthy and balanced diet, resting the right amount and dedicating time to yourself and your family. .

A new lifestyle, ecological for you and at the service of a wider and more important good, for an ecology that starts with us but is also oriented towards others.

People who play sports regularly have a much more reactive immune system, I can personally guarantee that, I do sports continuously and I haven’t had a flu or other illness for at least… I don’t even remember it.

In fact, there are numerous scientific studies that highlight a positive influence of physical activity on the immune system , especially if practiced consistently and without excesses.

In fact, it is known that regular physical activity, with the right duration and intensity, helps to improve the body’s immune response.

Open window

Sportsmen tend to run a very low risk of contracting infections or exposing themselves to contagions, compared to people who do not play sports. I know you are wondering why athletes like Ronaldo, Pellegrini, Rossi and many others fell ill with coronavirus?

Why then should you start playing sports at this risk?

There is an explanation, it is called “Open Window” and it is certainly not a good excuse to delay. It is scientifically proven that the function of the immune system is temporarily impaired after a session of high intensity and prolonged activity.

It therefore exists at this time precisely called “Open Window” during which we are more exposed to external attacks, at the risk of infections.

There is no well-defined length of time for this open window , it is in relation to the general health conditions of the person himself, generally ranging from 3 to 72 hours following a particularly intense workout. Clearly the risk increases if after such training you share spaces with other people such as changing rooms and showers.

So what should we do? 

The advice is not to turn healthy activity into a risk. Physical activity must be proportioned according to the current state of form of each of us. Suddenly turning into athletes would be a risk to our health, better and more functional is a gradual increase in intensity, letting us be followed by a professional, from the moment we decide to set ourselves ambitious goals.

To explain how the degree of health is related to the amount of exercise, we can keep in mind the “J curve”. This is a curve that is outlined on a graph that compares the risk of infection with the quantity (and quality we add) of physical activity.

You may notice that moderate exercise reduces the risk of respiratory infection, because it has beneficial effects on immune function. Conversely, if you practice intense and prolonged physical exercises, which our body is not used to supporting, the immune defenses are lowered and the risk of contracting respiratory tract infections is therefore increased.

2021 will be a year of great changes, our personal reality will be a continuous adaptation to the succession of events , day by day we will have to look at the statistics to generate an answer.

The vaccine , which we are starting to use is our weapon to attack the enemy, the immune system are our defenses, building them high and resistant is our first goal .