The UK is now into its second period of lockdown and the death toll continues to rise on a daily basis. At the time of writing over 16,000 people have died as a result of the virus. Understandably people are worried and want to try and take every possible precaution to avoid contracting the virus.
As well as following all the social distancing and lockdown guidelines, one of the most proactive things we can do is to be as healthy as possible. One potential area to focus on could be our weight. Scientists have suggested that being overweight can hamper our body’s ability to the fight the virus. One NHS survey stated that more than 60 per cent of patients in intensive care with the virus were overweight or classed as morbidly obese. To be clear being obese does not make individuals extremely vulnerable to catching the disease but it does increase your risk of suffering complications from Covid-19.
It is therefore important that we all make use of our daily exercise allowance, getting outside where possible as exposure to sunlight also increases our body’s ability to make Vitamin D which is also important for overall health.
We must also endeavour to eat as healthily as possible. Most of us now have more time on our hands, we have the time to cook from scratch and not rely on processed ready meals. As part of our healthy eating we should be consuming as much fresh fruit and vegetables as we can. Small changes can have a big impact on our wellbeing.
The other behavior that puts people at greater risk of developing complications is smoking. Covid-19 attacks the respiratory system, if this is already damaged from smoking it is logical that you are putting yourself at greater risk. The constant movement of hand to mouth also gives the virus more opportunities to enter your body. Now is a great time to consider giving up and there are a number of tools available online to support you through the process.
It is not necessarily easy to change our behaviors, but as Boldies, let’s be as healthy as we possibly can, lets influence what is under our control. Eating well, taking regular exercise, being a healthy weight and a non-smoker are all very positive steps we can take in our fight against Covid-19.
## Boldie Links:
– Some interesting tips on the goodtoknow website see the link [here](https://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/wellbeing/health/how-to-lose-weight-lockdown-538876)