Cold and Flu Season

Did you know that exercise plays a vital role in keeping our immune systems healthy? The food we eat and water we drink (think quality, even water) create our immune cells and shape our immune system, however, there are multiple clinically proven short- and long-term benefits of adding regular exercise physical, mental and emotional aspects, down to the heart of our cells. There are many ways to boost and protect your immune system, here are some interesting facts on how consistent exercise can prepare you for the coming season!

Exercise strengthens and stimulates the nutrients for your bones by stimulating osteoblast. In addition, exercise also protects against Alzheimer’s, dementia, improves cardiovascular health, combats depression, reduces stress, and increases productivity. Research done by the American Heart Foundation found that for each hour of regular exercise done, you gain roughly two hours of additional life expectancy, even at middle age. Muscle protects your body against early aging and enables normal healing, it is the reservoir for antiaging hormones for the purpose of recovering and healing the body, and exercise radically increases its ability to do so. Exercise is also vital for mitochondrial health to fight infections, diseases, longevity, neurological functions and having an appropriate anti-viral innate immune system response.

Another nationwide study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that regular exercise has a noticeable protective effect against contracting Covid infections. An even stronger benefit is that regular exercise appears to slash the risk of severe Covid infections and dramatically reduces the risk of death from Covid-19. In the study they compared the benefits across different styles of exercise, finding that the combination of consistent aerobic exercise and strength training together outperformed them all, revealing those that remained consistent with their exercise programs had a 27% lower risk of contracting the virus and a 57% lower risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms.

An important component of exercise is also recovery, Appalachian State University found that going for a 30 minute walk can instantly boost your immune system. By being out in the fresh air, receiving vitamin D, also significantly boosts your immune system. In addition, a Cleveland clinic found that melatonin acts as a moderator, to help keep our self protected responses from going haywire, helping the body to mount an appropriate response when interacting with viruses.

To be our healthiest selves, we have to nourish and give back to the body in quality ways, so we can increase our longevity to keep us moving forward and to be prepared for every cold and flu season.

Vanessa Ladouceur, Heavens Fitness Ltd. Manager, Personal Trainer.

Sources:

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/55/19/1099.full.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231721001245

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007165.htm#:~:text=Physical%20activity%20may%20help%20flush,system%20cells%20that%20fight%20disease

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32194980/