Working out regularly helps to maintain fitness levels, manage body weight, and improve mental health. Exercise can also benefit the body’s immune system and prepare stronger defenses against colds, flu, and other viruses. A study published in the National Library of Medicine in 2018 indicated that the immune systems of test subjects were able to detect and respond to infections sooner. By adapting your workout routines in the following ways, you can prepare your body for attack from viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.
1) Reduce the intensity
Physical activity triggers a physiological response within the body resulting in the generation of white blood cells. Circulating through the body, these cells improve the efficiency of the immune system making pathogens easier to detect and destroy. However, if physical exercise is too intense or for periods of longer than 60 minutes at a time, the immune system can be suppressed.
Age, fitness level, and other factors influence the ideal duration of workouts to boost immunity, but if you push yourself to exhaustion, you’re probably doing more harm than good. Rest days are also important to allow the body to recover between exercise sessions.
2) Mix things up
Consistency is good for improving fitness levels, but a well- rounded exercise program is important for general health. If running, cycling, and other aerobic exercises are the foundations of your fitness, mix things up with some resistance training a couple of days a week. Any activity that raises your heart rate and gets you moving can benefit the immune system. Consider taking up dance classes, martial arts training, or swimming to experience a broader range of workouts.
3) Include stretching routines
As well as reducing the risk of injury, incorporating stretching into workout routines can give the body an immunity boost. Stretches lengthen muscles, detoxify the lymph, and help to bring your nervous system into a resting state.
4) Practice meditation and breathing exercises
The health benefits of meditation have been documented in numerous studies around the world. These include reducing blood pressure, helping to ease anxiety and depression, and reducing inflammation in the body.
5) Listen to your body
If you feel the early signs of an infection, cold, or virus coming on, take some rest from exercise. Warning signs can include a raised temperature, muscle soreness, and a loss of appetite. Trying to push on with your workout routines may result in needing a longer period of recovery.
6) Be aware of hygience
If you exercise at a public gym or attend group fitness classes, be aware of the risks of picking up infections from touching equipment such as weights and yoga mats. Carrying hand gel and regularly washing your face and hands can reduce the risks significantly.
