Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, politicians and policymakers have focused on social distancing, washing hands, and face coverings, three things that might slow the spread of COVID-19.



Coming from a health and fitness background, what’s most disturbing to me is the lack of discussion around improving people's health. If public health is important to public health policymakers, the first thing they should be emphasizing is what it takes to be healthy. 



Healthy bodies handle viruses better than sick ones. Strong immune systems fight viruses better than weak ones.



God gave us protection against pathogens that's much stronger than that of a cloth mask.



The following are five ways I ensure my immune system is ready to handle the virus when it gets in my eyes, nose, or mouth. 



They’re all habits you can adopt beginning today, to help keep the effects of the virus away. I call them nonnegotiable habits because they're not optional in my life. I hope they become nonnegotiable in your life as well.





1. Sleep at least seven hours every night



Sleep debt disrupts your hormones, making you gain body fat, even when you eat a lower-calorie diet. Being overweight increases your risk of a severe case of COVID-19. 



A lack of sleep also leads to insulin resistance. Just one night of insufficient sleep leads to insulin resistance the next day. Elevated blood sugar also raises the risks of a severe case of COVID-19. 



Finally, sleep debt compromises your ability to react to pathogens. It sabotages your body’s adaptive immunity, which is the part of your immune system that develops antibodies to viruses, like SARS-CoV-2.




...research during the past years has accumulated evidence that sleep affects a wide variety of immune functions, including the numbers of specific leukocyte subsets in circulating blood, the cell-specific production of cytokines and further immune cell functions.
Besedovsky L, et al.



Seven hours of sleep is the low end of the threshold for sufficient sleep. The range is seven to nine hours.



2. Strength train three to five times per week



Your level of muscle mass plays a significant role in your body’s immune function.



The more muscle mass you have, the more capacity you create for storing carbohydrates. As I mentioned earlier, as fasting blood sugar rises, it compromises immune function. If you don’t have enough muscle to store the carbs you eat, your blood sugar remains elevated until you can turn the carbs into triglycerides or body fat.



In addition, research shows that as you lose muscle, or if you’re in a catabolic (muscle-losing) state, you reduce the strength of your immune system. This could be why those with cardiovascular disease are more susceptible to something like COVID-19. The cardiac cachexia associated with heart disease weakens your immune system.




Skeletal muscle regulates immune system functions via myokine signaling and the expression of immune modulatory surface molecules. Immune cells in turn critically influence muscle mass and function. Therefore, skeletal muscle may act as a central integrator between sarcopenia and immune senescence (age-related loss of immune function).
Nelke C, et al.



If you’re just getting started, three days a week will suffice for strength training. However, four is better. You will get results faster (provides you’re following a good strength training program). You’ll also develop the habit of exercising faster, as such a schedule has you exercising more days per week than you don’t.



3. High-protein diet



Protein is the most important macronutrient for a healthy body. Higher-protein intakes consistently lead to improved body composition, reduced appetite, improved lean body mass, better blood sugar levels, and stronger immune response.



On the flip-side, insufficient protein can lead to increased body fat, poor health, and a weaker immune system.



This is why a higher-protein diet is part of The 3 Pillars of VIGOR.


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