Anyone watching Game of Thrones is familiar with the defense system of medieval castles. Though most castles weren’t required to protect themselves from the undead with a 700 foot wall of ice, each of the castles of the Seven Kingdoms had the same basic defense system.

Castles utilized a “Defense in Depth” strategy, which was multi-layered and resulted in slowing down the enemy giving the defensive forces advantage.

The first line of defense for a castle is in the area surrounding the wall. Large fields, ramparts, waterways and moats were utilized to slow down the enemy.

The next line of defense is the castle walls. The enemy is required to either break through the wall or scale the wall in order to effectively attack the castle. Those trying to get through or around the walls were met with arrows and burning oil.

The defense system we should set up for COVID-19 is similar. It should be multi-layered for optimum effectiveness.

We are all using distancing as a primary defense against the virus. This is the equivalent of putting a “wall” of space around us.

The gate of a castle is one of the most vulnerable areas to attack. Castles had draw bridges and guards protecting the gate in a variety of ways.

Similarly, we protect one of our most vulnerable entries to the virus – our nose and mouth – with masks.

But what happens when “the wall is breached” and a flood of enemies enter our bodies?

A castle’s defense system does not end at the wall. All castles were protected by a trained fighting force and were configured with large internal courtyards where the enemy could be picked off before they could overrun the castle. Later castles had walls within walls to make it even more difficult for intruders.

A good defensive strategy to fight the Coronavirus will include more than just a wall and a drawbridge. A good strategy will ensure that once we are infected, our body is a ramped up, virus killing machine. In addition to prevention (distancing, masks, hand washing etc.), our multilayered defense system should incorporate a responsive immune system.

The science tells us that the components of a responsive immune system include 1) maintaining a healthy weight 2) eating the right foods 3) having the right activity 4) reducing stress and 5) proper sleep.

Healthy Weight

As I already covered in Plan B, we are 4X more likely to suffer severe consequences as a result of COVID-19 if we are obese. What’s obese? Check out Plan B where I cover it in detail.

It’s very important to get to a healthy weight if you are overweight or obese. The science is showing more and more how death rates climb with obesity rates.

The Right Nutrition

Eating right is certainly part of maintaining a healthy weight.

Details of the Stay Off the Scale Challenge is a good place to start with your nutrition plan. It covers the main elements of a healthy diet. One of the major considerations around the holidays is staying away from sugar!

The right nutrition to fight COVID-19 is not just about weight loss. It’s also about boosting your immune system. Immune Boosting foods should be added to your diet along with proper supplementation. As a minimum, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc are necessary supplements to protect yourself.

The Right Exercise

The Details of the Stay Off the Scale Challenge also covers some of the basics for a good exercise regimen, with a special caveat: Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. In this environment, moderate exercise is the key. Check out Best Exercise for a Strong Immune System.

Stress Reduction

The pandemic is piling on stress and stress weakens your immune system.

People nationwide are making significant changes in their lives to reduce stress. Some are retiring and others are moving to lower stress areas.

Maybe you’re not ready for such big changes, but even small changes can make a big difference. Exercise reduces stress, so starting a regular exercise program is a good way to bring stress levels down. Barb and I have added Yoga to our exercise regimen for a few weeks now and it is really having a calming affect. Just the breathing alone is very relaxing.

Healthline has a list of things you can address to reduce your stress and is a good place to start.

Sleep

Getting good sleep is critical for your immune system. This is when repairs to your body are made. How well you sleep is often an indicator of how you are doing with managing stress, so if you’re not sleeping well, the first place to look is at the stress in your life. That’s one way you know you’re on the right track – once you’re getting good sleep you know your exercise, nutrition and stress management are in a good place.

Caffeine intake is another source of stress and sleep issues. It’s easy to get caught up in the vicious cycle of needing coffee to get through the day and then not being able to sleep at night.

Once you’ve addressed the obvious causes for poor sleep like stress and coffee, you can try some natural sleep aids such as melatonin and/or magnesium. It might be just the thing to help you sleep through.

And by all means, talk to your doctor. I have a friend that had chronic sleeping issues all of his adult life and did everything right but still struggled. His entire life changed for the better after one doctor’s visit.

Conclusion

As a gym owner, I am disappointed in the guidance we’ve received from the CDC. Nearly the entire focus of fighting COVID-19 has been on prevention with very little emphasis on the impact overall health has on fighting the virus. The science is clear: generally, healthy people are kicking this virus, where those that have one or more of the co-morbidities identified by the CDC are more likely to develop serious health problems.

We need to place just as much emphasis on getting healthy as we do on wearing masks, social distancing, and washing hands. This virus is here to stay for at least another year. People are still being infected even when they do everything right.

Your BEST defense is a multilayered one, which includes being in the best shape you can be!

Ron