When Greg Glassman put his sickness-fitness continuum out 15 years ago he probably never imagined it would apply now more than ever. We see that on the left side is “sickness” which means you are at high risk for chronic disease (Diabetes, cancer, CHD) and have a compromised immune system to boot. The middle is wellness meaning you are not currently sick and are doing fine health wise. The right side is the ideal zone. Fitness means that you are healthier than most people and are a far cry away from becoming sick with chronic disease. These are people that exercise frequently 5-6x per week, they sleep well, eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and limit their processed and convenience foods.
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Todays Crisis
How does this relate to todays crisis? Well we can increase our margin for error by creeping closer to that fitness side of the continuum. People who come into contact and contract the flu or coronavirus and are on that sickness side are really struggling to come out of it unscathed. This concept of building your immune system gets lost in the shuffle when people are focused on social distancing and wearing gloves and masks. We can really create some protection by eating better, exercising more, and sleeping better.
Moving the Needle
In business I always thought about every decision moving the needle closer to or further away success. You can think about your health decisions in the same way. Here are the things we can do right now to move the needle in the right direction.
- Sleep-The most overlooked thing we do is sleep. In todays society our natural sleep cycle is thrown off due to the amount of stimulation we recieve. A sleep deprived immune system is a weak immune system. Sleep helps you recharge the batteries. I recommend 7 hours on the low end and when you can 8 or above.
- Limit your sugar intake- Too much sugar plays a role in extra body fat as well as throws off our hormones. Too much insulin stimulated causes chronic diseases. Pro tip: swap out a granola bar with celery and almond butter. This will drop your sugar count for the day.
- Move 30-40 min a day– Find something you enjoy doing. This is good for mental sanity, lowers cortisol, and strengthens your breathing muscles (intercostals, serattus, scalenes). It doesn’t have to be intense exercise either, walking briskly is an underrated thing especially in fresh air.
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