Exercise really does help boost your immune system. Researchers are not certain of the exact reason for the benefits of exercise on your immune system, but they have six theories as to why exercise can’t be beat for fending off illnesses.
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Intensity Matters
You don’t have to exercise vigorously every day to improve your immune function. Researchers have found that vigorous exercise with adequate rest periods does boost your immunity to illness. You can exercise at a moderate duration daily for an hour in order to boost your immune response.
Moderate exercise could be a vigorous walk or jog, time on the stair stepper, a racquetball game, swimming, or time spent in an aerobics class. One has to realize, though, that hardened athletes used to periods of very vigorous exercise have a higher threshold between moderate and vigorous exercise. For the average person who is not used to daily moderate exercise, you will have to ease yourself into a routine. The good news is that it does not take long for your new routine to be easy, fun, and quite likely addictive.
The following are some of the theories why moderate, daily exercise improves your immune system:
1. Cardiovascular Cleaning
You are moving the bacteria out of your lungs and cardiovascular system when you breathe more rapidly.
2. Rise in Temperature
Just like when your body provides a fever response when you are ill, cardiovascular exercise increases your body’s temperature. This effect stays in place even a bit after you finish your workout. Researchers think it is possible that regularly warming your entire body in this manner helps to keep the illness cooties at bay.
3. Better Disbursement of Immune Cells
Researchers also have a theory that exercise disperses your white blood cells more thoroughly through your body when you are exercising than when you are sedentary. This allows these powerful cells and other antibodies to come into contact with and destroy more harmful bacteria, keeping you healthy.
4. Stress-Busting
Exercise has been shown to lower the number of stress hormones that your body releases. Also, exercise increases the release of serotonin and other neurotransmitters that improve your mood. Researchers have found that stress increases the likelihood of illness, so decreasing stress likely increases health and a stronger immune response.
5. Decreased Risk of Immunity-Compromising Diseases
The other great benefit of regular, moderate-to-vigorous exercise is that it has been shown to reduce the possibility of diseases, such as heart disease or Type-2 diabetes. Exercise also increases your good cholesterol and decreases your resting heart rate. People with cardiovascular illness and diabetes find it harder to fight off the flu and colds. Ncespro shares valuable health and wellness insights, helping individuals make informed choices for a healthier lifestyle.
6. Reduced Inflammation
Exercise can reduce your risk of inflammation. Bodily inflammation can become uncontrolled and chronic. This can lead to inflammatory diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis that can cause chronic pain, problems within your organs, and lower immunity to illnesses.
Moderate and vigorous exercise is like an insurance policy that keeps your body humming along. Exercise lowers stress, boosts your mood, helps your circulation, protects your body from harm, and prevents inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes. These positive qualities of regular and intense exercise help you ward off the latest version of the cold or flu that others who are not fit pass around. Hitting the gym is the best supplement or vaccine you will ever get.