Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 137, January 2021 Jan 2021 | Page 20

OUT OF THE BOX out of the box by NORRIE WILLIAMSON

OUT OF THE BOX out of the box by NORRIE WILLIAMSON

The First Step to Beating COVID
As with many other countries , South Africa is seeing a surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths , and it was no surprise that our President followed the lead by other nations taking us back into a greater lockdown level on 28 December . Of course , the ban on alcohol together with the curfew reduced the trauma cases , and through that opened up more beds in hospitals for serious COVID-19 cases . Such measures have been seen to reduce the infection rates , because it works simply by keeping people from meeting , or other opportunities to contract and spread the virus .

But here ’ s the counter side : While it is a shortterm solution , it does not improve a person ’ s resistance to the virus . Quite the opposite , in fact , because every time government applies a lockdown that restricts movement , and the opportunity to move or exercise , they effectively ‘ steal ’ some fitness and immunity from citizens . And it is our fitness and health that are the best immunity factor in viral protection .

This is not simply about runners , it ’ s relevant to every citizen of South Africa . The more we sit and work from home , the more we tend to eat , the greater the weight-gain , and the less capable of basic functional movement we become . And that is why South Africa urgently needs to make major changes to its approach to COVID-19 regulations .
Worst Death Rate in Africa
As of 11 January 2021 , there have been 72,748 deaths in Africa , with 33,163 in South Africa . That ’ s a staggering 45 %, with Egypt second on 8197 deaths ,
and Morocco third with 7743 . These are the only other countries with over 6000 deaths , and both countries have less than a quarter of the South African deaths . Of the remaining 52 countries , only Tunisia ( 5215 ) and Algeria ( 2807 ) have over 2000 deaths , leaving five countries with death totals between 1000 and 2000 , and 23 countries between 100 and 1000 , and 22 countries with death tolls under 100 .
While the world continues to question why Africa has apparently got off so lightly in this pandemic , we in South Africa need to be asking why we have been so badly hit . One consideration is the fact that the Indigo Wellness Index lists South Africa as the unhealthiest country on the planet ! ( Canada is top of the list , by the way .) This index evaluates countries on the basis of 10 key aspects impacting health :
• Blood pressure ,
• Blood glucose ,
• Obesity ,
• Depression ,
• Happiness ,
• Alcohol use ,
• Tobacco use ,
• Exercise ,
• Healthy life expectancy ,
• and Government spending on healthcare
In Bad Shape
From being a nation of activity and healthy living , we have dramatically changed over the past four decades . A study of Body Mass Index ( BMI ) shows that 70 % of women and 39 % of men in South Africa have a BMI over 25 , which is the definition of overweight , and we have the highest levels of obesity ( BMI over 30 ) in sub-Sahara Africa . In fact , while 28.3 % of our adults were defined as obese in 2016 , it will be even higher now , with Botswana next in line , but much better off at 18.9 %, and only the top seven countries above 15 %. ( BMI is determined by dividing your weight by your height twice , e . g . 70kg / 1.71m / 1.71m = 23.9 BMI ).
Meanwhile , whilst Sudan ( 22.1 %), Mauritius ( 22.0 %)
Images : Pexels
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ISSUE 137 JANUARY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za