When it comes to fighting off diseases and infection, a person’s immune system is their main defense. This is why it is important to take the necessary steps to learn how to boost your immunity, as this will help you fight COVID-19.
The ones most at risk for COVID-19 are those with weak or compromised immune systems. But even if you don’t fall under this high-risk group, boosting your immunity is still vital to overall health.
How To Fight COVID-19: What Do You Need To Do?
Being confined at home during the quarantine may seem restrictive, but it may be the ideal opportunity to begin developing healthy lifestyle habits. These tips can strengthen your immune system, maintain your body robust and healthy, and teach you how to combat COVID-19.
1. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep helps regulate the body’s functions, and plays a role in boosting immunity against COVID-19 and other diseases. Lack of sleep not only makes you feel even more tired, but it can also weaken your immune system.
Ideally, you should be getting at least 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. If you’re having trouble sleeping, you can compensate by taking naps. A nap in the morning and a nap in the afternoon of around 30 minutes each is said to help reduce stress and strengthen immunity.
2. Wash Your Hands Frequently
When it comes to one of your first lines of defense in how to fight COVID-19, everyone is encouraged to wash their hands frequently. Not only does hand washing protect you from the coronavirus, it can also protect you from being infected by other diseases.
Numerous studies show that hand washing for at least 20 seconds using soap and water can significantly prevent you from getting sick and spreading diseases and illnesses. Wash your hands after handling anything dirty, after being outside, and before eating.
3. Get Enough Exercise
With the enhanced community quarantine across the Luzon region in place, it is not easy to simply go out and jog, or to go to the gym. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to skip your daily exercise. Now can be an excellent moment to start developing a program for individuals who previously don’t have time for exercise because of their busy lifestyles.
There are different exercises that you can do at home without the need for any specialized equipment. It is recommended to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day to keep your body fit.
4. Eat Healthy Food
Many individuals stocked up on canned goods and dried items, such instant noodles, just before the quarantine took effect. Even if they may have some nutritional value, your body may not benefit from consuming only these foods for a month.
If possible, eat more fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables as these are packed with minerals and vitamins. Eating salads and drinking fruit juice regularly can help in your fight against COVID-19 and other diseases.
For a healthy diet, try to eat less processed food. If you’re cooking with fresh produce, be sure to wash them thoroughly before eating and cooking them.
5. Avoid Unnecessary Stress
Because of the quarantine, many people spend more time on social media in order to stay in touch with friends or to keep abreast of the latest news. However, consuming too much time on social media may cause information overload, and expose people to contents that may cause anxiety and fear.
These things can, in turn, cause a lot of stress, which may have a negative effect on the immune system.
This is why it is important to try and regulate media consumption and exposure. Keeping yourself level-headed and calm can greatly benefit your health. This also prevents any undue stress.
6. Stop Smoking and Avoid Alcohol
If you smoke, quarantine may be a good time to consider quitting completely.
COVID-19 primarily affects the lungs, so smokers and those with respiratory problems are more vulnerable and may experience more severe symptoms.
Alcohol use should be kept to a minimum. Your immune system may be weakened by alcohol, and it may also lead to issues like hypertension..
COVID symptoms can be mild to severe. Those with severe cases are often people with other comorbidities. As vaccine rollout is still ongoing, it is important to learn how to fight COVID-19. You can do this by boosting your immune system, staying healthy, and preventing other diseases (e.g hypertension, diabetes) at this time.
7. Don’t Neglect Your Mental Health
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. So avoiding stress as much as possible helps in boosting immunity.
Just like stress, dealing with mental health problems such as depression, fear, and anxiety can have a negative impact on your physical health, as well as on your immune system.
Focus on self-care even in the midst of the quarantine. It may be a good idea to regularly talk with your friends and loved ones.
You may also want to stick to a daily schedule to help cope with being at home for a long period of time.
How To Fight COVID-19: Key Takeaways
One of the most important things you can learn during these times is how to fight COVID-19. Remember, your health and your immunity are very important. If you are at home, try to keep your mind and body active.
Regulate your time spent on social media to avoid triggers that may cause anxiety and stress.
Eating healthy is also very important as nutritious food helps in boosting immunity against COVID-19 and other illnesses.
Learn more about Coronavirus here.
