Fight Obesity to Resist Corona Virus

By Mark Kaplan / May 28, 2020

By now we are all aware of the risks that increase vulnerability to the Corona Virus. Age seems to create its own vulnerability but that is only when you are a senior and in poor health. Asthma and diabetes create vulnerabilities.

The number one precursor to all the vulnerabilities of asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and sedentary life styles is being overweight. Men usually develop belly fat while women develop fat in the hips and thighs. Belly fat is more dangerous because the fat more easily is absorbed into our blood circulation.

First Steps to Lose Weight

The lock down lifestyle is just adding to the propensity of the population to gain weight each year. The government predicted that 50% of the population over 40% right now will be obese by 2030. This includes children.

Get away from packages and restaurant food. Get away from refined sugar in soft drinks, pastries and desserts. A second big step is to reduce white flour which includes bread and white pastas. Avoid grease. Drink 50 oz of water a day. The water helps digestion.

A great book on losing weight is the Plan by Lyn Genet Recitas. It discusses eating low inflammatory foods. The main reason we gain weight is we eat inflammatory foods. I lost 17 pounds in 3 weeks on her suggestions.

Start Exercising

Daily aerobic exercise that leads to thirty minutes a day five days a week equaling 150 minutes a week is the first target. Then target 300 minutes a week. Aerobic exercise burns carbohydrates and fat. The body refuels the muscles with fat used for energy by the muscles.

The first objective is to get started. The second objective is to increase duration. Thirdly, we want to increase intensity. The best way to increase intensity is with intervals.

The fourth step is to lift weights. A friend who owns a Play It Again Sports says his business is up over last year because people are ordering exercise equipment they can use in their homes. He has no weights for lifting in stock and can’t keep it supplied.

Weights exercise muscle which use glucose and fat for refueling. The important aspect of muscle building is that it builds receptors that start looking for glucose to store for fuel. Glucose comes from carbohydrates. If you don’t have muscle receptors for glucose, all the carbohydrates go to fat.

The best starting routines are up to ten exercises like a circuit. You could do pushups, use cables, do some ab work, and use weights for the chest, arms and shoulders.

The best overall exercises are dead lifts and squats because they exercise the most muscles. Dead lifts and squats increase flexibility and core strength. Be sure you have the right form to avoid injury. Don’t start with too much weight. Learn the form first. Watch some YouTube videos.

The Total Program

So now we have discussed nutrition, aerobics and weight training. These are the three main factors for losing weight and building health. They also lead to fitness. Fitness is the best resistance to catching infectious diseases that prey on vulnerabilities.

Don’t let setbacks stop the program. As an Ace Certified Health Coach, I know that there will be days you don’t want to exercise and parties where you eat everything you see. Don’t be so ridged you create a program you know you won’t follow. Be reasonable, but build discipline.

As you begin to make progress, you will feel better and build self-esteem. We take pride in being able to improve who we are. Progress leads many to passion and the addiction to being healthy. Health and fitness support everything else in our lifestyle.

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