Working out can be a positive way to boost your immune system. As we continue through the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people are starting to question how to keep their immune systems strong against foreign invaders. Can exercise protect us from respiratory diseases by aiding our immunity?
While we are still learning more about COVID-19, we can be assured that exercise substantially impacts viral respiratory infections and immunity. Keeping your body active can be a highly vital component of public health.Â
Can Exercise Help Your Immune System?
Many epidemiological studies have looked into the effects of physical activity on people who are sick. According to these studies, physically fit or active tend to get sick less frequently than sedentary people.Â
Almost 600 healthy adults were observed for one year and monitored for any sicknesses every three months in one study. The study determined that those who engage in moderate-to-vigorous exercise were 29% less likely to get an upper respiratory infection than those who did not work out.Â
Another study that monitored over 1,000 adults during flu season determined that those who engaged in aerobic exercise at least five days a week were 43% less likely to get the common cold or flu. Clearly, working out not only makes you look great, but it also allows you to feel great too!
How Does Exercise Boost Your Immune System?
Your immune system is a system of cells and components that work together to fight against invading pathogens, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and more. When your immune system is healthy, all these moving parts work together to keep you feeling great and energetic. Even a minor cold can set you back by making you feel foggy, tired, and unable to work correctly.Â
There are many theories and explanations for why working out can protect you against upper respiratory infections. Any form of aerobic exercise can instantly mobilize numerous immune cells that enter your blood circulation from your bone marrow and spleen before making their way to your lungs as active warriors. You prime these fight cells and keep them circulating within your body naturally when you exercise.Â
Think of a good workout as deploying an ongoing patrol team to watch your body.Â
Depending on how long you exercised and the intensity of your workout, the number of these immune cells circulating can increase by 50 percent to 400 percent. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to sustain a moderate exercise routine to reduce your risk of infection.Â
What Kind of Exercise Works?
You can enjoy incredible health benefits through any form of aerobic exercise, which includes:
- Biking
- Walking
- Running
- Swimming
- Jogging
- Soccer
- Dancing
It doesn’t matter what form of aerobic exercise you decide to engage in, as long as you can commit to at least 20 to 40 minutes of moderate-level intensity workouts every day. This simple activity can boost your immune system and keep you engaged, active, and healthy.
An excellent way to tell if you’re getting a moderate level of exercise is known as the talk test. The talk test is precisely what it sounds like. You can talk while working out, but you cannot do much more. For example, you can hold a short conversation with your biking or running partner, but not much more. The more intense the exercise, the less able you are to say more than a few words without needing to catch a breath. If you can chat up a storm, you are probably not getting a moderate to high-intensity workout.
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