There is much talk about the Covid-19 vaccines but there is a powerful medicine we can all take right now. This medicine is free, it's available across the world, and if taken regularly with a low carbohydrate diet, this medicine will reduce our risk of dying of Covid-19.
In the fightback against coronavirus and lifestyle-related diseases, TGO Activate is on a mission to help the world move more and live more sustainably. We're working with amazing partners across the globe including HAGS, Gebal Group, Playpoint, Playrope and many more, to break down barriers to physical activity in communities.
Boosting immunity and maintaining healthy BMI with physical activity: two factors we CAN control in the Covid-19 recovery
Vaccines are defined as ‘a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases.’ According to the US National Library of Medicine, exercise causes change in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before. The US National Library of Medicine also say exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. Some stress increases the chance of illness. Lower stress hormones may protect against illness.
The World Health Organisation, Public Health England, The World Obesity Forum and the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson have all agreed that being overweight increases our risk of dying from Covid-19. There are many risk factors we cannot control: age, ethnicity, sex and hereditary medical conditions. We can control our BMI, however. As other risk factors, such as age, ethnicity and sex cannot be changed, Public Health England says interventions to help people lose weight or prevent weight gain may be one of the few modifiable risk factors for Covid-19.
Obesity and Covid-19 - the evidence
Over 650 million people are obese worldwide and therefore more at risk of dying from COVID 19.
- ‘Being overweight remains one of the biggest risk factors in the battle against Covid-19.’ Public Health England
- ‘Obesity doubles the chances of death in Covid-19.' Prof John Wilding, the president of the World Obesity Federation
- 'If you have obesity, there are a number of underlying health issues that make it more difficult for you to fight off a Covid-19 infection. Your entire body, including your lungs, may be inflamed. Your immune response is likely compromised, and your lung capacity reduced.' John Kirwan, Ph.D., Pennington Biomedical Executive Director
According to Bariatric Surgeon Dr Robert Cywes, obesity is a result of a person seeking endorphins primarily from carbohydrates. Movement is an endorphin-releasing activity and active ways of releasing endorphins need to be practised to sustain wellbeing as well as physical health. According to Dr Robert Cywes, eating carbohydrates need to be dramatically reduced. At the same time, obese patients must take more activity to release endorphins.
High quality, free-to-use and evidence-based outdoor gyms
TGO gyms has pioneered outdoor fitness in parks for the past 13 years. Independent research from Worcester University, Nielsen and the NHS shows that TGO outdoor gyms help drive up physical activity in communities, including previously inactive people, ethnic minority populations, older people and multi-generational families. There are some exciting innovations being launched in the coming weeks and months to enhance and activate our outdoor fitness spaces. All TGO gyms are spaced out so that people can easily maintain social distancing.
'We must get the world moving'
This is the vital call to action from Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation. According to the UK Chief Medical Officers, movement is the wonder drug for treating lifestyle-related diseases.
In conclusion, let's put down the carbs and take up movement as our main source of endorphins instead. In doing so, we can ALL improve wellbeing, boost immunity and protect ourselves from the ravaging effects of Covid-19, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.