As we move into fall and the weather begins to cool, it is much more common to get colds and the flu.
Covid also continues to be active so staying as healthy as possible is even more critical than ever.
But how best can you prevent yourself from getting sick?
With more indoor events to participate in and kids coming home from school exposed to sick classmates, it can feel like there is no way to protect yourself.
Science has proven that rest, eating healthy, and being active contribute to a robust immune system capable of fighting off bacterial and viral infections.
The Paseo Club is a social club in the Santa Clarita Valley that supports whole body health through fitness and community engagement. We know being active is important to looking and feeling good.
In this article, we will share with you what the experts have to say about the role of physical activity and staying healthy.
You will learn how being active affects the immune system, how much time you need to exercise each week to optimize your health, and what exercises are best for you.
How does physical activity help the immune system?
Four primary functions happen to the body when you consistently exercise.
1. Physical activity can help your body resist an invasion of antigens
Harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi (antigens) can invade your body, causing disease or illness.
The National Institute of Health found that exercise can enhance resistance to microbial antigens that cause illness.
Regular physical activity aids the body to secrete elevated levels of cytokines which help grow blood cells and signal the immune system to activate.
2. Physical activity boost rates of white blood cells (WBCs)
White blood cells (WBCs) in the body increase and are more actively circulated throughout your tissues and circulatory system when you exercise regularly.
WBCs' role in the body is to fight infection. They move through blood and tissue, looking for foreign invaders, and when they find them, they launch an attack.
This immune attack stops the pathogens from replicating and eliminates the infected cells.
3. Physical activity reduces inflammation
When immune cells try to function with inflammation, it inflames the immune system too. This state makes it harder for your body to fight infections.
When a person exercises, it causes a whole host of changes to reduce inflammation:
- Increase anti-inflammatory cytokines
- Increases vagal tone, leading to reductions in systemic inflammation
- Activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous systems
- Increase cortisol levels which are known to have potent anti-inflammatory effects and catecholamines that can inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine production
- Down regulate toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligation, which represents the first line of defense against infection
To cut down on inflammation, bring up your activity level!
4. Physical activity helps your body respond faster to fight infection
Physical activity helps your body’s immune system to activate to fight infection.
Once your system is activated, it can work faster and more efficiently if you exercise regularly compared to people who do not exercise.
This means if you get sick, you can expect to recover more quickly and have a fuller recovery with fewer lingering symptoms.
What type of physical activity is best for supporting health and immune function?
It has been shown that acute physical activity is the best type to support your immune system. Acute physical activity is defined as being less than one hour in length and of moderate intensity.
One way to gauge whether an activity is right for immune boosting, aim to reach about 60% of your VO2 max or about 70% of your max heart rate.
- This study showed that a brisk 45-minute walk each day increased immune response for the following three hours. Walking daily created a cumulative effect.
- This research indicated aerobic exercise five times per week reduced acute respiratory infections by up to 40%.
- Elder adults who participated in a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) program for 10 weeks had improved immune function.
- Strength training increases white blood cell levels, even after only one training session.
Physical activity has indirect benefits to your health too
In this article, we have covered what the direct correlation is between physical activity and your immune system. But there are indirect benefits as well. Exercise can:
- Lower stress
- Improve mood
- Reduce anxiety
- Strengthen bones
- Improve heart health
- Manage healthy weight
- Improve the quality of sleep
Your body’s immune system can function better when your stress level lowers, your mental health improves, your body is fit, and you sleep soundly.
Immune system health and Covid
In the era of Covid, many people wonder if they can prevent getting Covid. The answer is no. But you can work towards a better outcome for yourself if you are exposed.
In research published by the National Institute of Health, people who exercise regularly have a lower incidence of contracting Covid, less intensity of symptoms, and reduced mortality.
Final steps to staying healthy through being active
Although you cannot prevent yourself from being exposed to every sniffle and cough that comes your way, you can make your immune system as strong as possible by eating healthy, getting good sleep, and staying active.
The Paseo Club has been supporting its members in being fit for almost 20 years. We offer over 60 fitness classes each week in both indoor and outdoor facilities. We also have a junior-Olympic pool and pickleball and tennis courts.
We know that part of staying fit is having fun. Join us for one of our weekly social events, share a meal with friends at the cafe, or enjoy a relaxing massage with one of our licensed massage therapists at the spa.
You can schedule a tour of the Paseo Club to see the facilities in person.
To learn more about how to stay healthy, check out these articles:
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