Second Lieutenant stated, “It’s important to talk about all of the components because your body does not function well if it is not working together.” Denise Johnson, an aerospace physiologist with the 12th Operations Support Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, who specializes in optimizing human performance. “Exercise, eating a well-balanced, healthy diet, and getting enough sleep can all, in theory, improve your immunity because they will help kickstart your body’s natural response.” The idea is to both reduce the mental and physical stress on your body, as well as improve your body’s ability to respond to stress, which can come in the form of mental or physical stress, or in this case, illness.
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Human cells are fed and supported by a nutrient-dense diet that includes green leafy vegetables, healthy fats, and good proteins. While most know the basics of a healthy diet, Johnson says people may not realize the importance of healthy fats in the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
Cardiovascular and high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, help increase blood flow and thus the oxygen and nutrient delivery. It also helps relieve stress and helps the body have a lower resting heart rate and blood pressure.
Johnson stated, “People with a good cardio or HIIT exercise routine are much better than couch potatoes at handling stress and stressful situations.” “Think of it like pressing play on your body’s natural stress and immune response. It’s something that already happens in the body, exercise just makes it more efficient.”
Rest, through quality sleep, meditation and stretching, helps hormone levels reset. People who don’t get the recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep consume 300 to 400 more calories per day and have 40% more of the stress hormone cortisol. These things all work together to ensure the human body is at peak performance – nutrition fuels exercise; exercise leads to a good night’s sleep; a good night’s sleep helps prevent overeating. This overall cycle helps balance stress hormones and “presses play” on the body’s natural responses.
As an emergency essential worker, maintaining these balances while being isolated or working long shifts can be even more difficult than usual. For those working long shifts, Johnson recommends making the most of sleep.
Johnson stated, “This kind of intense shift work can be similar to an aviation lifestyle: lack of sleep, excessive caffeine consumption, and stressful situations.” “Make the most of the time you do get to sleep by using it well.” She suggests sleeping in a cool, dark room, stretching before bed, and putting away electronics. Drink some water and turn on the lights as soon as you can when you’re trying to get up. During the day, she recommends keeping a lot of healthy fats on hand, which help improve mood, memory retention and cognitive ability, as well as help prevent anxiety, depression and mood swings.
For those home in isolation, Johnson recommends getting up to move every 30 minutes to an hour.
“A body in motion stays in motion; your body was not meant to be a couch potato,” Johnson said. “Get up and move around, even if it’s just yard work or cleaning your house. Humans require accomplishment and action. While gyms and recreation centers may be closed, there are a multitude of options to exercise and stay active.
Maj. said, “Be creative in your own home.” Danielle Anderson, 59th Medical Operations Squadron physical therapist at JBSA-Lackland. Use the stairs if you have them. Do some exercises with your body weight in your open spaces. Capt. David Sachse, another physical therapist with the 59th MDOG, said he has seen some units set up unit running or fitness challenges, keeping one another accountable through texts, calls and social media.
“Use social media to set up challenges for yourself and your friends,” Sachse said. “It helps maintain social distance while maintaining social contact and engaging in healthy activities,” For those staying home with their families, Anderson recommends getting the whole family involved.
